Determining whether a commercial transaction has taken place

• US 8,831,968 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2008
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Padot, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/184,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29, 705/14.41, 705/14.49, 705/14.58
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

Determining whether a commercial transaction has taken place may include a) collecting percipient behavior information from a mobile communication device associated with a percipient, wherein the percipient behavior information is related to behavior of the percipient; b) determining a correlation between the percipient behavior information and transaction behavior information associated with a predetermined commercial transaction; and c) determining from the correlation a confidence level for whether the predetermined commercial transaction has taken place.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining whether a predetermined commercial transaction has taken place by a data center, the method comprising:

a) collecting percipient behavior information from a mobile communication device associated with a percipient, the collection of the percipient behavior information being made by a processing device at the data center,

wherein the percipient behavior information is related to behavior of the percipient and includes a location of the percipient or a location of the mobile communication device, and

wherein collecting the percipient information includes collecting, by at least one biometric sensor, biometric information about a state or condition of the percipient;

b) comparing the percipient behavior information to transaction behavior information associated with the predetermined commercial transaction, and based on the comparing, determining a correlation score between details of the percipient behavior information and corresponding details of the predetermined commercial transaction, the determination of the correlation score being made by the processing device at the data center,

wherein each of the details of the predetermined commercial transaction has an assigned weight based on its relative importance to the predetermined commercial transaction, and

wherein determining the correlation score between the details includes determining a correlation between the location of the percipient or the location of the mobile communication device and a location associated with the predetermined transaction, determining a correlation between the state or condition of the percipient and a corresponding state or condition associated with the predetermined commercial transaction, and calculating the correlation score with a weighted mathematical formula based on the assigned weights; and

c) determining from the correlation score a confidence level for whether the predetermined commercial transaction was completed by the percipient, the determination of the confidence level being made by the processing device at the data center.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the percipient information in a) includes collecting transaction information generated and transmitted with the mobile communication device upon completion of a commercial transaction by the percipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a) further includes collecting percipient information from a communication device associated with a vendor, wherein collecting the percipient information from the communication device associated with the vendor includes collecting transaction information generated and transmitted with the communication device associated with the vendor upon completion of a commercial transaction by the percipient.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the percipient information in a) includes tracking the location of the mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the correlation score in b) includes correlating the location of the mobile communication device with the location associated with the predetermined commercial transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the correlation score in b) includes correlating the percipient behavior information to a broadcast of a commercial message associated with the predetermined commercial transaction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein correlating the percipient behavior information to the broadcast of the commercial message includes correlating the percipient behavior information to a time of broadcast of the commercial message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein correlating the percipient behavior information to the broadcast of the commercial message includes correlating the percipient behavior information to reception of the commercial message by a broadcast receiving device associated with the percipient.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein correlating the percipient behavior information to the broadcast of the commercial message includes correlating the percipient behavior information to display of the commercial message, wherein the display is by the mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein b) includes transmitting the percipient behavior information to a clearinghouse.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein b) includes transmitting the percipient behavior information to a broadcaster of a commercial message associated with the predetermined completed commercial transaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein b) includes transmitting the percipient behavior information to a vendor associated with the predetermined completed commercial transaction.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an effectiveness of a commercial message associated with the predetermined commercial transaction based on the confidence level and adjusting a price for advertising services associated with the predetermined commercial transaction according to the effectiveness that is determined.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the correlation score between the details includes determining how many of the details of the percipient behavior information match the corresponding details of the predetermined commercial transaction.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied therein computer executable instructions for implementing a method for determining whether a predetermined commercial transaction has taken place by a data center, the method comprising:

a) collecting percipient behavior information from a mobile communication device associated with a percipient, the collection of the percipient behavior information being made by a processing device at the data center,

wherein the percipient behavior information is related to behavior of the percipient and includes a location of the percipient or a location of the mobile communication device, and

wherein collecting the percipient information includes collecting, by at least one biometric sensor, biometric information about a state or condition of the percipient;

b) comparing the percipient behavior information to transaction behavior information associated with the predetermined commercial transaction, and based on the comparing, determining correlation score between details of the percipient behavior information and corresponding details of the predetermined commercial transaction, the determination of the correlation score being made by the processing device at the data center,

wherein each of the details of the predetermined commercial transaction has an assigned weight based on its relative importance to the predetermined commercial transaction, and

wherein determining the correlation score between the details includes determining a correlation between the location of the percipient or the location of the mobile communication device and a location associated with the predetermined transaction, determining a correlation between the state or condition of the percipient and a corresponding state or condition associated with the predetermined commercial transaction, and calculating the correlation score with a weighted mathematical formula based on the assigned weights; and

c) determining from the correlation score a confidence level for whether the predetermined commercial transaction was completed by the percipient, the determination of the confidence level being made by the processing device at the data center.

16. A computer apparatus, comprising,

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

instructions embodied in the memory and executable by the processor, the instructions being configured to implement a method for determining whether a predetermined commercial transaction has taken place by a data center when executed by the processor, the method comprising;

a) collecting percipient behavior information from a mobile communication device associated with a percipient, the collection of the percipient behavior information being made by a processing device at the data center,

wherein the percipient behavior information is related to behavior of the percipient and includes a location of the percipient or a location of the mobile communication device, and

wherein collecting the percipient information includes collecting, by at least one biometric sensor, biometric information about a state or condition of the percipient;

b) comparing the percipient behavior information to transaction behavior information associated with the predetermined commercial transaction, and based on the comparing, determining a correlation score between details of the percipient behavior information and corresponding details of the predetermined commercial transaction, the determination of the correlation score being made by the processing device at the data center,

wherein each of the details of the predetermined commercial transaction has an assigned weight based on its relative importance to the predetermined commercial transaction, and

wherein determining the correlation score between the details includes determining a correlation between the location of the percipient or the location of the mobile communication device and a location associated with the predetermined transaction, determining a correlation between the state or condition of the percipient and a corresponding state or condition associated with the predetermined commercial transaction, and calculating the correlation score with a weighted mathematical formula based on the assigned weights; and

c) determining from the correlation score a confidence level for whether the predetermined commercial transaction was completed by the percipient, the determination of the confidence level being made by the processing device at the data center.