Micro-segment definition system

• US 8,700,468 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Walter, Baum, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/039,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.41, 705/14.43, 705/14.52
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A selection of one or more segment attributes from an offer provider campaign is received at a graphical user interface. The one or more segment attributes define one or more segments that correspond to one or more offers in the offer provider campaign. Further, an expression graph based on the one or more segment attributes is generated. In addition, a portable micro-segment object is generated based on the expression tree such that the portable micro-segment object lacks dependence on the offer provider campaign.

Claims

1. A storage device storing a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of segment attributes from an offer provider campaign, the segment attributes defining one or more segments that correspond to the offer provider campaign;

generating an expression tree based on the segment attributes;

using the expression tree to compare consumer attributes for a specified group of consumers to the segment attributes to determine a number of the consumers that are to be assigned to the one or more segments;

generating a portable micro-segment object based on the expression tree, the portable micro-segment object including the segment attributes and the number of the consumers assigned to the one or more segments, and lacking dependence on the offer provider campaign;

sending the portable micro-segment object from a service to an offer provider associated with the offer provider campaign, the service being separate from the offer provider and the portable micro-segment object being sent without identification data for the consumers assigned to the one or more segments;

receiving at the service an offer from the offer provider, and

sending the offer from the service to one or more of the consumers assigned to the one or more segments.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the portable micro-segment object stores analytics without user identification data.

3. The storage device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the segment attributes is weighted higher than others of the segment attributes when determining if the consumer is to be assigned to the one or more segments.

4. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the segment attributes include a pre-specified indication of a positive consumer interest in at least one of a particular product or a particular brand.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the segment attributes include a pre-specified indication of a negative interest in at least one of a particular product or a particular brand.

6. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to evaluate the expression tree based on a three-value logic system.

7. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the micro-segment object includes one or more segment attribute definitions.

8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the micro-segment object includes one or more segment attribute value definitions.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a selection of segment attributes from an offer provider campaign, the segment attributes defining one or more segments that correspond to one or more offers in the offer provider campaign;

generating an expression tree based on the segment attributes;

comparing, via the expression tree, consumer attributes to the one or more segment attributes to determine a number of consumers to be assigned to the one or more segments;

generating, via a computing device, a portable micro-segment object based on the expression tree such that the portable micro-segment object includes the segment attributes and the number of consumers assigned to the one or more segments, and lacks dependence on the offer provider campaign;

sending the portable micro-segment object from a service to an offer provider associated with the offer provider campaign, the service being separate from the offer provider and the portable micro-segment object being sent without identification data for the consumers assigned to the one or more segments;

receiving at the service an offer from the offer provider; and

sending the offer from the service to one or more of the consumers assigned to the one or more segments.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the portable micro-segment object stores analytics without user identification data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the segment attributes is weighted higher than others of the segment attributes when determining if the consumer is to be assigned to the one or more segments.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the segment attributes include a pre-specified indication of a positive consumer interest in at least one of a particular product or a particular brand.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the segment attributes include a pre-specified indication of a negative interest in at least one of a particular product or a particular brand.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising evaluating the expression tree based on a three-value logic system.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the micro-segment object includes one or more segment attribute definitions.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the micro-segment object includes one or more segment attribute value definitions.

17. A system comprising:

a reception module configured to receive a selection of segment attributes from an offer provider campaign, the segment attributes defining one or more segments that correspond to one or more offers in the offer provider campaign; and

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to perform operations including;

generating an expression tree based on the segment attributes;

evaluating the expression tree using consumer attributes to determine a number of consumers to be assigned to the one or more segments;

generating a portable micro-segment object based on the expression tree such that the portable micro-segment object includes the segment attributes and the number of consumers assigned to the one or more segments, and lacks dependence on the offer provider campaign;

sending the portable micro-segment object from a service to an offer provider associated with the offer provider campaign, the service being separate from the offer provider and the portable micro-segment object being sent without identification data for the consumers assigned to the one or more segments;

receiving at the service an offer from the offer provider; and

sending the offer from the service to one or more of the consumers assigned to the one or more segments.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the segment attributes include a pre-specified indication of a positive consumer interest in at least one of a particular product or a particular brand.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the segment attributes include a pre-specified indication of a negative interest in at least one of a particular product or a particular brand.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further include evaluating the expression tree based on a three-value logic system.