Controlling receipt of electronic advertising

• US 9,137,316 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Menditto, Louis F., Davidson, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): LI, SUN M
• Application Number:
  US11/861,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,911 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.53, 705/14.73, 455414-420, 455/435, 707 1- 10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising

Abstract

In one embodiment, a request for content is received. An electronic advertisement is associated with the content. A status of a device that transmitted the request for the content is determined. Data corresponding to the status is included in the request for the content. The electronic advertisement or receipt of the electronic advertisement is provided as a function of the included data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network device, a request for content, an electronic advertisement associated with the content;

determining, using the network device, a communication status of a device that transmitted the request for the content;

inserting, using the network device, a command corresponding to the communication status in the request for the content, wherein the command defines an alteration or filtration of only the electronic advertisement;

forwarding the request for content including the command from the network device to a provider server;

re-formatting the electronic advertisement as a function of the command corresponding to the communication status; and

provisioning of content responsive to the request unaffected by the command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request for a webpage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication status of the device comprises determining whether the device is roaming.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication status of the device comprises determining an access type of a current connection of the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the access type comprises determining whether the device is using a 2G, 3G, WiFi, or wired broadband connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication status is based on a registration of the device in a network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing of the electronic advertisement or receipt of the electronic advertisement comprises removing data from the electronic advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing of the electronic advertisement or receipt of the electronic advertisement comprises blocking the electronic advertisement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing of the electronic advertisement or receipt of the electronic advertisement comprises replacing the electronic advertisement with another electronic advertisement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is included in a HTTP, IP, or TCP header.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for content comprises a first request and a second request, the second request being for requesting the electronic advertisement and including data corresponding to the status.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing data from the electronic advertisement based on the communication status of the device that transmitted the request for the content, wherein the communication status is a communication type selected from the group consisting of roaming cellular network, home cellular network, and wireless local area network.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a device operable to monitor data communication between a user device and a server,

wherein the device is further operable to receive a request for content and determine a type of communication used by the user device that transmitted the request for content when the request was transmitted,

wherein the device is further operable to include a command corresponding to the status in the request, wherein the command is associated with the type of communication used by the user device and defines an alteration or filtration for only an electronic advertisement associated with the content, and

wherein the device is further operable to re-format the electronic advertisement as a function of the command and to provision content responsive to the request without alteration or filtration as a function of the command.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the type of communication used by the user device indicates whether the user device is roaming.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor reduces an amount of data required by the electronic advertisement based on the type of communication used by the user device or filters the electronic advertisement based on the type of communication used by the user device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic advertisement comprises a regional electronic advertisement based on roaming or no electronic advertisement.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the device is further operable to insert the command in a HTTP, IP, or TCP header.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of alteration codes;

a processor to receive a request for content, an electronic advertisement associated with the content;

wherein the processor is configured to determine a communication status of a user means that transmitted the request for the content and configured to include data corresponding to the communication status and an alteration or filtration of only the electronic advertisement in the request for the content,

wherein the processor means is configured to re-format the electronic advertisement or as a function of the included data, and to provision content which is responsive to the request unaffected by the included data.