Method and apparatus for providing virtual content to a mobile device

• US 8,694,520 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Krishnakumar, Anita, Ramachandran, Vinod, Krishnan, Vinod
• Primary Examiner(s): HASAN, SYED HAROON
• Application Number:
  US13/096,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A virtual content server and method are provided for giving virtual content providers an opportunity to provide their virtual content, such as an advertisement, to a mobile device of a user who has achieved or otherwise satisfied one or more predetermined conditions in, or interacted in a certain way with, one or more mobile apps on the mobile device. When a certain condition is satisfied in a mobile app of the mobile device, a device identifier of the mobile device is sent to the virtual content server and stored in a previously-generated recipient list of users in a recipient list database. When a virtual content request including the device identifier is later received from the mobile device, the virtual content server retrieves as at least part of a plurality of virtual content candidates virtual content previously associated with recipient list(s) for which the device identifier has been stored in the recipient list database. Then, one or more of the virtual content candidates are selected and sent to the mobile device to be displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing virtual content, comprising:

generating a code snippet associated with a recipient list ID;

receiving an add recipient request to store a device ID of a device in association with the recipient list ID, said add recipient request being in response to the execution of the code snippet compiled into an application on the device;

storing the device ID in association with the recipient list ID, wherein the recipient list ID is associated with one or more virtual content as recipient list associated content;

receiving a virtual content request from the device, the virtual content request including the device ID;

determining the recipient list ID associated with the received device ID;

retrieving, as at least part of a plurality virtual content candidates, recipient list associated content associated with the determined recipient list ID; and

selecting one or more of the recipient list associated content as a candidate to send to the device in response to the virtual content request;

generating the recipient list ID of the recipient list in response to a recipient list creation request received from a front end interface;

generating the code snippet in response to the recipient list creation request; and

sending the code snippet to the front end interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the code snippet is operable to cause the device to send the add recipient request when executed as compiled in a first application on the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient list associated content is virtual content uploaded and associated with the recipient list based on input from a front end interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the add recipient request in response to input from a first application on the device, and

receiving the virtual content request from a second application on the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first application and the second application are the same application.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first application and the second application are different applications.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first application is a free version and the virtual content associated with the recipient list ID advertises a paid version of the first application.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the recipient list associated content advertises in-app purchases to be made within the first application or downloadable content for the first application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of recipient list IDs that are each associated with the received device ID, in response to the virtual content request; and

retrieving, as at least part of the plurality of virtual content candidates, recipient list associated content associated with the plurality of determined recipient list IDs.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the recipient list based on recipient list information received from a front end interface, the recipient list information including one or more of a virtual content provider ID, expiration data, label data for describing the recipient list, and association data indicating virtual content to be associated with the recipient list as the recipient list associated content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the selected one or more virtual content candidates to the device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the selected virtual content based on one or more of factors including which of the virtual content candidates have been previously presented more often and auction bids associated with the virtual content candidates.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient list addition request further includes a virtual content provider ID identifying the virtual content provider associated with the recipient list ID.

15. The method of claim 1, where the recipient list associated content includes at least one re-marketed advertisement.

16. A computer-implemented method for providing virtual content, comprising:

generating a code snippet associated with a recipient list ID;

receiving an add recipient request to store a device ID of a device in association with the recipient list ID, said add recipient request being in response to the execution of the code snippet compiled into an application on the device;

storing the device ID in association with the recipient list ID, wherein the recipient list ID is associated with one or more virtual content as recipient list associated content;

receiving a virtual content request from the device, the virtual content request including the device ID;

determining the recipient list ID associated with the received device ID;

retrieving, as at least part of a plurality virtual content candidates, recipient list associated content associated with the determined recipient list ID;

selecting one or more of the recipient list associated content as a candidate to send to the device in response to the virtual content request; and

deleting device IDs from a recipient list based on whether a particular device ID has been stored in the recipient list longer than a threshold indicated by expiration data associated with the recipient list.

17. A computer-implemented method for providing virtual content, comprising:

generating a code snippet associated with a recipient list ID;

receiving an add recipient request to store a device ID of a device in association with the recipient list ID, said add recipient request being in response to the execution of the code snippet compiled into an application on the device;

storing the device ID in association with the recipient list ID, wherein the recipient list ID is associated with one or more virtual content as recipient list associated content;

receiving a virtual content request from the device, the virtual content request including the device ID;

determining the recipient list ID associated with the received device ID;

retrieving, as at least part of a plurality virtual content candidates, recipient list associated content associated with the determined recipient list; and

selecting one or more of the recipient list associated content as a candidate to send to the device in response to the virtual content request; and

anonymizing the device ID of the device, wherein the device ID uniquely identifies the device.

18. A virtual content serving system, comprising:

first generating means for generating a code snippet associated with a recipient list ID;

receiving means for receiving an add recipient request including a device ID of a device and the recipient list ID, the add recipient request being in response to the execution of the code snippet as compiled into an application on the device;

a storage unit storing the device ID in association with the recipient list ID, wherein the recipient list ID is associated with one or more virtual content as recipient list associated content;

receiving means for receiving a virtual content request from the device, the virtual content request including the device ID;

determining means for determining the recipient list ID associated with the received device ID;

retrieving means for retrieving, as at least part of a plurality virtual content candidates, recipient list associated content associated with the determined recipient list ID; and

selecting means for selecting the recipient list associated content as a candidate to send to the device in response to the virtual content request

second generating means for generating the recipient list ID of the recipient list in response to a recipient list creation request received from a front end interface; and

sending means for sending the code snippet to the front end interface;

the first generating means generating the code snippet in response to the recipient list creation request.

19. The virtual content serving system of claim 18, wherein when executed as part of a first mobile application on the device, the code snippet is operable to cause the device to send the add recipient request to the virtual content serving system.

20. The virtual content serving system of claim 18, further comprising:

an input unit receiving an instruction to generate the recipient list in response to a recipient list creation request received from a front end interface.

21. The virtual content serving system of claim 18, further comprising:

an output unit outputting the selected recipient list associated content to the device.