Providing customized information to a user based on identifying a trend

• US 8,849,256 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Leeder, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US13/565,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/410, 379/207.02, 379/119, 705/35, 705/7, 705/14, 705/500
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

To provide customized information to the user, a wireless communications network node receives a stream of data associated with a user. A first trend associated with at least a first attribute in the stream of data is identified, and based on the identified first trend, customized information is sent for presentation to the user at a mobile station.

Claims

1. A method performed in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

identifying, by a network node, a flat trend in a stream of data, the flat trend associated with a flat attribute; and

selecting, by the network node, customized information based on the identifying, wherein the selecting is based on determining at least one first device user frequently called by a second device user, identifying at least one similar characteristic between the at least one first device user and the second device user, and selecting information based on the at least one similar characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to the identifying, sending the customized information to a mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing selected items of the data that are representative of the flat trend; and

discarding other items of the data that are not representative of the flat trend.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a second trend associated with a second attribute in the stream of data;

based on the identified second trend, sending further customized information to the mobile station.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing further selected items of the data that are representative of the second trend; and

discarding other items of the data not representative of either the flat trend or the second trend.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the selected items are stored in a data structure, the method further comprising:

pruning items from the data structure that are not indicative of the flat trend.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing selected items of the data that are representative of the flat trend in a data structure in response to determining that the flat attribute is associated with the flat trend.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a first threshold indicative of a minor trend for the flat attribute;

defining a second threshold indicative of a major trend for the flat attribute; and

wherein identifying the flat trend comprises identifying the major trend for the flat attribute.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified flat trend is one of the following plural types:

percentage-based usage type;

cardinality-based usage type; and

interval-based usage type, the method further comprising;

defining one or more thresholds for the identified flat trend based on the type of the flat trend.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless communications network receiving the customized information from another wireless communications network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless communications network sending a request for the customized information to another wireless communications network.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the stream of data associated with a mobile station, the stream of data having the flat attribute.

24. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the customized information comprises sending advertising information based on the identified flat trend.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is an interest or a demographic.

12. A network node for use in a communications network, comprising:

an interface to receive a stream of data associated with a mobile station, the stream of data having a flat attribute; and

a processor configured to;

select customized information based on the flat trend, wherein the selecting is based on determining at least one first device user frequently called by a second device user, identifying at least one similar characteristic between the at least one first device user and the second device user, and selecting information based on the at least one similar characteristic.

13. The network node of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a pointer to selected items of the data that have been stored for the identified flat trend.

14. The network node of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to discard other data not associated with the identified flat trend.

15. The network node of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to store the selected items in a first type of data structure in response to determining the attribute is associated with the flat trend.

16. The network node of claim 12, wherein the customized information includes targeted advertising information.

17. The network node of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the customized information from another network node.

18. The network node of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to sending a request for the customized information to another network node.

19. A computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying instructions that when executed cause a processor of a wireless communications network node to:

identify, by the processor, a flat trend in the stream of data, the flat trend associated with the flat attribute;

select customized information based on the identifying, wherein the selecting is based on determining at least one first device user frequently called by a second device user, identifying at least one similar characteristic between the at least one first device user and the second device user, and selecting information based on the at least one similar characteristic.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the customized information includes targeted advertising information.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to receive the customized information from another wireless communications network node.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to send a request for the customized information to another wireless communications network node.

26. A method performed in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

identifying, by a first network node, a flat trend in the stream of data, the flat trend associated with the flat attribute; and

selecting, by a second network node, customized information based on the identifying, wherein the selecting is based on determining at least one first device user frequently called by a second device user, identifying at least one similar characteristic between the at least one first device user and the second device user, and selecting information based on the at least one similar characteristic.