Targeting advertisements to athletes

• US 8,781,611 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Athlete Journey, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AthletePath, Inc.
• Inventors: Embree, David, Wallsmith, Kris, Hotovy, Laurie
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US13/310,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 700/91, 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 705/14.52, 705/14.53, 705/14.66, 705/14.67, 482/8
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An athlete service platform implemented at a server system obtains athletic performance information and selectively stores that information in a plurality of athlete-user accounts in which each athlete-user account is associated with a respective athlete competing in one or more athletic events. The server system obtains a set of advertisement parameters from an advertiser which specify how and whether to direct one or more advertisement messages to one or more of the plurality of athlete-user accounts. The set of advertisement parameters includes at least one performance parameter. The server system identifies, with reference to the plurality of athlete-user accounts and the athletic performance information stored in those athlete-user accounts, a target athlete-user account associated with an athlete that has achieved the performance parameter as indicated by the athletic performance information. The server system directs the advertisement message to the target athlete-user account.

Claims

1. A server system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device having instructions stored thereon executable by the processor to;

obtain athletic performance information and selectively store that information in a plurality of athlete-user accounts, each athlete-user account being associated with a respective athlete competing in one or more athletic events;

obtain a set of advertisement parameters which specify how and whether to direct one or more advertisement messages to one or more of the plurality of athlete-user accounts, the set of advertisement parameters including at least one performance parameter associated with a first time achievement;

identify, with reference to the plurality of athlete-user accounts and the athletic performance information stored in those athlete-user accounts, a target athlete-user account associated with an athlete that has attained the first time achievement; and

direct the advertisement message to the target athlete-user account in response to the athlete attaining the first time achievement, the advertisement message including;

an offer for a product or a service, and an indication of the first time achievement achieved by the athlete associated with the target athlete-user account.

2. The server system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

generate an athlete-user interface at the server system; and

transmit the athlete-user interface to a computing device over a communications network, the athlete-user interface including the advertisement message.

3. The server system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

generate an advertiser-user interface at the server system;

transmit the advertiser-user interface to the computing device over the communications network;

obtain the set of advertisement parameters at the server system over the communications network from the computing device, the set of advertisement parameters defined by one or more inputs provided via the advertiser-user interface at the computing device; and

charge a financial fee to an advertiser-user account associated with the advertisement message responsive to directing of the advertisement message to the target athlete-user account.

4. The server system of claim 3, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

generate an event administrator-user interface at the server system; and

transmit the event administrator-user interface to a second computing device over the communications network;

wherein the athletic performance information is at least partially defined by one or more inputs provided via the event administrator-user interface at the second computing device.