Targeted content delivery mechanism based on network application data

• US 8,984,047 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gassewitz, Michael, Lee, Denny Lung Sun, Gaudet, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOROBOV, VITALI A
• Application Number:
  US12/694,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/249, 705/7.29, 725/9
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system and method are provided for delivering targeted content to a subscriber coupled to a service provider network. Network application data generated by the subscriber is received and processed by a network application element deployed in the service provider network associated with a network identifier of the subscriber'"'"'s computing device. The network application data is generated from user interaction with a server coupled to the service provider network or through a public communication network. The network application data is converted to web events associated with the network identifier. The web events are filtered to remove irrelevant data from received web events. A subscriber profile can then be generated base upon the filtered web events associated with the subscriber. Targeted content can then be delivered to the subscriber based upon the subscriber'"'"'s profile.

Claims

1. A system for delivering targeted content to a subscriber, the system comprising:

a data preparation element deployed in a service provider network for generating web events associated with a network identifier based on network application data, the web events conforming to a common data scheme;

an event analyzer for generating one or more profiling algorithms by applying behavior pattern recognition analysis to the web events;

a profiler for maintaining a profile of the subscriber generated by using the one or more profiling algorithms on web events associated with the subscriber, the profile characterizing the subscriber'"'"'s interests; and

a content server for selecting and delivering targeted content to the subscriber based upon the profile of the subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1 where in the network application data is hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)-based traffic and the web event is an HTTP header.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an event processing unit for receiving the generated web events and filtering irrelevant data from received web events.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the event processing unit further comprises filtering the web events to remove data with personal and/or sensitive information (PSI).

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the event processing unit further anonymizes the filtered web events to disassociate the web event from the network identifier and stores the event in a storage device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more profiling algorithms apply behavior pattern recognition analysis to subscriber browsing and the associated content defined in the web events.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more profiling algorithms are generated in non-real-time, and each of the one or more profiling algorithms comprise a set of rules that take web events as input and generate profile scores as output, the profile score reflect interests of an entity being profiled, and each profile score can be associated with one of a plurality of categories of interest or descriptors of interest.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the user profile identifies the entity being profiled identifying a subscriber'"'"'s household interests defining the aggregate of all web activity associated with a single subscriber ID or personality interests within the subscriber household defining one or more sub-sets of web activities associated with a single subscriber ID but attributed to one of a plurality of personalities.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the network application element is configured within the service provider network based upon the type of application provided where the network application element application is selected from the group comprising:

an endpoint that the subscriber communicates with;

part of the communication data path;

or can indirectly receive network application data in an offline function and need not participate in the communication data path.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network application element manager for providing management of a network application elements including, configuration, fault monitoring, and performance management functions.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the web events are selected from the group comprising:

search events, website visit events, advertisement (ad) click events, e-Commerce interaction events, and online video selection events.

12. A computer implemented method of delivering targeted content to a subscriber, the method comprising:

generating web events based upon subscriber network application data;

generating one or more profiling algorithms by applying behavior pattern recognition analysis to the web events;

updating a subscriber profile by using the one or more profiling algorithms on the web events; and

providing web content to a web server, in response to a content request, based upon the subscriber profile.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising filtering irrelevant data from the generated web events prior to updating a subscriber profile.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein filtering the web events further comprises removing data with personal or sensitive information (PSI).

15. The method of claim 13 wherein processing the web event further comprises:

anonymizing the filtered web events to remove potential subscriber identification information;

storing the anonymized filtered web events;

applying the behavior pattern recognition analysis to the anonymized filtered web events to generate the one or more profiling algorithm; and

generating the subscriber profile when the subscriber profile does not exist using the one or more profiling algorithm.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more profiling algorithms are generated in non-real-time, and each of the one or more profiling algorithms comprise a set of rules that take web events as input and generate profile scores as output, the profile score reflect interests of an entity being profiled, and each profile score can be associated with one of a plurality of categories of interest or descriptors of interest.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the user profile identifies the entity being profiled identifying a subscriber'"'"'s household interests defining the aggregate of all web activity associated with a single subscriber ID or personality interests within the subscriber household defining one or more sub-sets of web activities associated with a single subscriber ID but attributed to one of a plurality of personalities.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the subscriber network application data is hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)-based traffic and the web event is an HTTP header.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein receiving and processing the network application data further comprises removing the content portion of HTTP web traffic.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the web events are selected from the group comprising:

search events, website visit events, advertisement (ad) click events, e-Commerce interaction events, and online video selection events.

21. The method of claim 12 where providing web content to a web server further comprises:

receiving a request for target content from the web server;

querying a subscriber profile based upon an Internet Protocol (IP) addresses associated with a subscriber associated with the request;

retrieving a profile associated with the subscriber IP address;

selecting content from a plurality of content based upon a content score identified in the profile; and

forwarding the selected content to the web server for display to the subscriber.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein updating the user profile further comprises:

processing received web events to determine changes in user preferences;

updating the user profile; and

storing the user profile.