Method of enhancing emails with targeted ads

• US 8,655,731 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Consallus Group LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bosarge, Jason, Little, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US12/174,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A computer method and system for intercepting email messages, scanning the email messages for key words, determining whether the key words match or relate to key words determined to relate to advertising content, and enhancing the email message by routing the emails to recipients in a manner so that highly relevant, highly targeted advertising tag lines or other content are displayed together with the emails when the emails are accessed and viewed by email recipients.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, by a computing system having one or more hardware processors, keyword and/or key phrase data relating to advertising content;

accessing, by the computing system, an advertisement hierarchy based on money paid by advertisers for advertising;

accessing, by the computing system, a plurality of emails originating from respective senders and addressed to respective recipients, at least some of the emails containing messages that differ from other messages contained in other emails;

performing, by the computing system, a keyword and contextual analysis of each of the emails to determine contextual essence of any words in the emails that match and/or contextually relate to any of the keyword and/or key phrase data;

in response to performing a keyword and contextual analysis of a first email containing a first message and determining that the contextual essence of a first word in the first message matches and/or contextually relates to first keyword or key phrase data, selecting first advertising content associated with the first keyword or key phrase data, the first advertising content comprising one or more advertisements from one or more advertisers relating to a single advertising topic;

in response to performing a keyword and contextual analysis of a second email containing a second message that differs from the first message and determining that the contextual essence of second and third words in the second message match and/or contextually relate to second and third keyword or key phrase data, selecting second advertising content associated with the second keyword or key phrase data and selecting third advertising content associated with the third keyword or key phrase data, the first, second and third advertising contents differing based on differences in the contextual essence of the first, second, and third words;

modifying, by the computing system, the first email so that tag lines relating to the one or more advertisements of the first advertising content will be displayed together with the first email and in an order determined by the advertisement hierarchy; and

modifying, by the computing system, the second email so that tag lines relating to the second and third advertising contents will be displayed together with the second email and in an order determined by the advertisement hierarchy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag lines relating to the one or more advertisements of the first advertising content are configured for display to a side of a message body of the first email.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more advertisements of the first, second, and third advertising contents are selected without considering stored data relating to general interests of respective senders of the first and second emails.

4. A method comprising:

accessing, by a computing system having one or more hardware processors, a first electronic document that includes text that is initially un-enhanced before being analyzed by the computing system;

determining, by the computing system, contextual essence of one or more words in the first electronic document that match and/or contextually relate to keyword and/or key phrase data stored in a data structure, wherein respective keyword and/or key phrase data are associated with respective content in the data structure;

in response to identifying, by the computing system, a match and/or contextual relationship between the one or more words in the first electronic document and keyword and/or key phrase data relating to first content, identifying a portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the first electronic document to be changed into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the first content that is contextually relevant to the first electronic document;

enhancing, by the computing system, the first electronic document by changing the identified portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the first electronic document into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the first content;

accessing, by the computing system, a second electronic document that differs from the first electronic document and which includes text that is initially un-enhanced before being analyzed by the computing system;

determining, by the computing system, contextual essence of one or more words in the second electronic document that match and/or contextually relate to second keyword and/or key phrase data relating to second content stored in the data structure;

in response to identifying, by the computing system, a match and/or contextual relationship between the one or more words in the second electronic document and second keyword and/or key phrase data relating to second content, identifying a portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the second electronic document to be changed into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the second content that is contextually relevant to the second electronic document; and

enhancing, by the computing system, the second electronic document by changing the identified portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the second electronic document into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the second content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first electronic document and the second electronic document each comprise one of an electronic message, a peer-to-peer communication, or a message component of a file sharing application.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first electronic document and the second electronic document each comprise one of an email communication, an instant message, or a Short Messaging Service message.

7. A method comprising:

accessing, by a computing system having one or more hardware processors, a plurality of peer-to-peer electronic communications;

analyzing, by the computing system, the electronic communications to determine whether respective electronic communications include any words that match and/or contextually relate to stored keyword and/or key phrase data;

in response to finding one or more words in a first message that match and/or contextually relate to a first one or more stored keyword and/or key phrase data, selecting first content associated with the first one or more stored keyword and/or key phrase data;

in response to finding one or more other words in a second message that match and/or contextually relate to a second stored keyword and/or key phrase data, selecting second content associated with the second stored keyword and/or key phrase data, wherein the first content and the second content are different;

routing a first electronic communication comprising the first message to a first recipient in a manner so that a first tag line relating to the first content will be displayed to a side of a message body of the first electronic communication and so that the first tag line comprises underlined text that is a hyperlink which points to a first website associated with a first content provider and text that is not underlined and which provides first information regarding the first content; and

routing a second electronic communication comprising the second message to a second recipient in a manner so that a second tag line relating to the second content will be displayed to a side of a message body of the second electronic communication and so that the second tag line comprises underlined text that is a hyperlink which points to a second website associated with a second content provider and text that is not underlined and which provides second information regarding the second content.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

accessing, by the computing system, a third electronic communication and causing content that is not contextually relevant to a third message included in the third electronic communication to be displayed to a side of a message body of the third electronic communication.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the peer-to-peer electronic communications comprise at least one of email communications, instant messages, or Short Messaging Service messages.

10. A computing system comprising:

one or more hardware processors configured to execute software instructions;

a tangible computer readable medium having software instructions stored thereon, the software instructions configured for execution by the one or more hardware processors in order to cause the computing system to;

access a first electronic document that includes text that is initially un-enhanced before being analyzed by the computing system;

determine contextual essence of one or more words in the first electronic document that match and/or contextually relate to keyword and/or key phrase data stored in a data structure, wherein respective keyword and/or key phrase data are associated with respective content in the data structure;

in response to identifying a match and/or contextual relationship between the one or more words in the first electronic document and keyword and/or key phrase data relating to first content, identify a portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the first electronic document to be changed into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the first content that is contextually relevant to the first electronic document;

enhance the first electronic document by changing the identified portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the first electronic document into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the first content;

access a second electronic document that differs from the first electronic document and which includes text that is initially un-enhanced before being analyzed by the computing system;

determine contextual essence of one or more words in the second electronic document that match and/or contextually relate to second keyword and/or key phrase data relating to second content stored in the data structure;

in response to identifying a match and/or contextual relationship between the one or more words in the second electronic document and second keyword and/or key phrase data relating to second content, identify a portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the second electronic document to be changed into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the second content that is contextually relevant to the second electronic document; and

enhance the second electronic document by changing the identified portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the second electronic document into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the second content.

11. A tangible computer readable medium having software instructions stored thereon, the software instructions configured for execution by a computing system having one or more hardware processors to cause the computing system to:

access a first electronic document that includes text that is initially un-enhanced before being analyzed by the computing system;

determine contextual essence of one or more words in the first electronic document that match and/or contextually relate to keyword and/or key phrase data stored in a data structure, wherein respective keyword and/or key phrase data are associated with respective content in the data structure;

in response to identifying a match and/or contextual relationship between the one or more words in the first electronic document and keyword and/or key phrase data relating to first content, identify a portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the first electronic document to be changed into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the first content that is contextually relevant to the first electronic document;

enhance the first electronic document by changing the identified portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the first electronic document into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the first content;

access a second electronic document that differs from the first electronic document and which includes text that is initially un-enhanced before being analyzed by the computing system;

determine contextual essence of one or more words in the second electronic document that match and/or contextually relate to second keyword and/or key phrase data relating to second content stored in the data structure;

in response to identifying a match and/or contextual relationship between the one or more words in the second electronic document and second keyword and/or key phrase data relating to second content, identify a portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the second electronic document to be changed into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the second content that is contextually relevant to the second electronic document; and

enhance the second electronic document by changing the identified portion of the initially un-enhanced text in the second electronic document into a hyperlink that points to a website associated with the second content.