Methods, systems and apparatus to generate market segmentation data with anonymous location data

• US 8,954,090 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: The Nielson Company (US), LLC
• Inventors: Cochran, Laura, Miller, David R., Stevens, Jeff, Nelson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/721,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 705/7.29, 705/7.33, 705/7.34
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to generate market segmentation data with anonymous location data. A disclosed example method involves receiving geographic location information associated with a mobile phone user, associating the geographic location information with an identifier unrelated to personal information associated with the mobile phone user, identifying a home location associated with the geographic location information, and associating segmentation information with the identifier based on the home location and without referencing personal information of the mobile phone user.

Claims

1. A method to select mobile advertisements, comprising:

retrieving, with a processor, geographic indicators associated with a mobile device identifier;

generating a hash based on the mobile device identifier to conceal personal consumer information;

identifying a first portion of the geographic indicators associated with a first time of day;

when a threshold number of the first portion of the geographic indicators is collected while a mobile device is executing a first type of application, associating the hash with a first segment type;

when the threshold number of the first portion of geographic indicators is collected while the mobile device is executing a second type of application, associating the hash with a second segment type; and

forwarding an advertisement to the mobile device associated with the hash, the advertisement based on one of the first segment type or the second segment type.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic indicators comprise global positioning satellite coordinates.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising identifying a work location when the second portion of the geographic indicators is associated with a second time of day.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising identifying a travel route when a third portion of the geographic indicators is associated with a third time of day.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the third portion of the geographic indicators is spatially located between a residential location and the work location.

6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the third time of day is between the first and second times of day.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the first time of day is associated with non-work hours, the second time of day is associated with work hours, and the third time of day is associated with travelling hours.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second segment types comprise demographic indicators, respectively.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the first and second demographic indicators are associated with a potential rating index for zip markets (PRIZM) segmentation model.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising forwarding the advertisement to the mobile phone in response to identifying a retailer in proximity to the mobile phone.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the mobile identifier comprises at least one of a telephone number, an address or an international mobile equipment identity number.

25. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising associating the hash with a work location when the mobile device is executing the second type of application.

26. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second type of application comprises at least one of a stock trading application, a financial streaming application, or a game application.

12. An apparatus to select mobile advertisements, comprising:

a data analyzer to retrieve geographic indicators associated with a mobile device identifier;

a privacy manager to generate a hash based on the mobile device identifier to conceal personal consumer information, the data analyzer to identify a first portion of the geographic indicators associated with a first time of day; and

a segmentation manager to associate the hash with a first segment type when a threshold number of the first portion of the geographic indicators is collected while a mobile device is executing a first type of application, the segmentation manager to associate the hash with a second segment type when the first portion of the geographic indicators is collected while the device is executing a second type of application, and to forward an advertisement to the mobile device associated with the hash, the advertisement based on one of the first segment type or the second segment type, at least one of the data analyzer, the privacy manager or the segmentation manager comprising a logic circuit.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the data analyzer is to identify global positioning satellite coordinates.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the data analyzer is to identify a work location when the second portion of the geographic indicators is associated with a second time of day.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the data analyzer is to identify a travel route when a third portion of the geographic indicators is associated with a third time of day.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the segmentation manager is to forward the advertisement to the mobile phone in response to identifying a retailer in proximity to the mobile phone.

17. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

retrieve geographic indicators associated with a mobile device identifier;

generate a hash based on the mobile device identifier to conceal personal consumer information;

identify a first portion of the geographic indicators associated with a first time of day;

when a threshold number of the first portion of the geographic indicators is collected while a mobile device is executing a first type of application, associate the hash with a first segment type;

when the threshold number of the first portion of the geographic indicators is collected while the mobile device is executing a second type of application, associate the hash with a second segment type; and

forward an advertisement to the mobile device associated with the hash, the advertisement based on one of the first segment type or the second segment type.

18. A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify locations of the mobile device based on global positioning satellite coordinates.

19. A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify a work location when a second portion of the geographic indicators is associated with a second time of day.

20. A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify a travel route when a third portion of the geographic indicators is associated with a third time of day.

21. A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify that the third portion of the geographic indicators is spatially located between a residential location and the work location.

22. A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify that the third time of day is between the first and second times of day.

23. A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify that the first time of day is associated with non-work hours, the second time of day is associated with work hours, and the third time of day is associated with travelling hours.

24. A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to forward the advertisement to the mobile phone in response to identifying a retailer in proximity to the mobile phone.