Method and system for providing content to users based on frequency of interaction

• US 9,143,572 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dotdash Media Incorporated (IAC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: About Incorporated (IAC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Donovan, Kevin R J B, Toothman, James Keith, Wang, Wen-Wei, Long, Tara
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US10/942,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,022 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• 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 for providing content to a user based on at least one prior user experience are provided. First content is transmitted to a user, wherein at least some of the first content is transmitted in response to one or more user content selections. Frequency information based on the inputs and/or the first content is stored. A request for content is received from the user. Second content is selected based on the frequency information.

Claims

1. A method for providing content to an internet user based on at least one prior user experience, comprising:

transmitting first content to a user, wherein at least some of the first content is transmitted in response to one or more user content selections;

directing storage of frequency information associated with the user related to at least one of the first content and the one or more user content selections, wherein the frequency information tracks a frequency with which the first content is received by the user and is used for classifying the user in one or more user classification groups based at least in part on one or more user feedback interactions;

receiving a request for content from the user;

selecting second content for the user based on the frequency information wherein the frequency information indicates whether the user has selected a particular type of content and not selected another type of content; and

selecting second content comprises selecting second content that does not contain the particular type of content; and

determining that the user has exceeded a frequency threshold based on the frequency information, the frequency threshold having at least one of a bottom value and a top value such that exceeding the frequency threshold, either above or below the frequency threshold, moves the user to another classification group, and wherein the act of selecting second content is based on the act of determining.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the second content to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more user content selections comprise requests for content from a specific content provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more user content selections comprise requests for content from a specific web domain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency information comprises information relating to a frequency of a particular event related to content received by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency information comprises information relating to a frequency of a particular event related to the user content selections.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of directing storage involves directing storage of the frequency information in a cookie in a user storage system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user storage system is located in at least one selected from the group consisting of a personal computer and a mobile phone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for content is received by a content provider server that accesses and delivers content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected second content comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a web page, an advertisement, a pop-up, an animation, an email, sound content, video content, text content, and a graphic.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second selected content is selected based on the frequency of the user accessing information at a specific domain on the Internet.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second selected content is selected based on the frequency of a user accessing a specific subset of accessible web pages at a specific domain on the Internet.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second content comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an invitation to join a group associated with the frequency threshold;

an invitation to receive a type of content associated with the frequency threshold; and

content that is accessible only to users who have exceeded the frequency threshold.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for content is received by a content provider, further comprising:

enrolling the user in an account associated with the content provider.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving account access information from the user; and

identifying the user based on the account access information, wherein the act of selecting second content is further based on the act of identifying.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the frequency information is stored in a storage system entry associated with the user, further comprising:

accessing the frequency information based on the act of identifying.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of storing comprises:

storing the frequency information in a cookie in the user storage system.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for content is received from a content provider, and wherein the frequency information is stored in an entry at a storage system, and wherein the entry is associated with the user and is updated based on subsequent information transmitted between the user and the content provider.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the frequency information comprises information relating to the frequency of one or more events, further comprising:

updating the frequency information based on each occurrence of the one or more events.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the act of updating comprises adding frequency information to a cookie at a user computer.

21. A system for providing internet content to a user based on at least one prior user experience, comprising:

an output device for transmitting first content to a user, wherein at least some of the first content is transmitted in response to one or more user content selections;

a data storage controller that directs storage of frequency information associated with the user related to at least one of the first content and the one or more user content selections, wherein the frequency information tracks a frequency with which the first content is received by the user and is used for classifying the user in one or more user classification groups based at least in part on one or more user feedback interactions;

an output device for receiving a request for content from the user; and

a processor that selects second content for the user based on the frequency information wherein the frequency information indicates whether the user has selected a particular type of content and not selected another type of content; and

selecting second content comprises selecting second content that does not contain the particular type of content; and

determining that the user has exceeded a frequency threshold based on the frequency information, wherein the frequency threshold has at least one of a bottom value and a top value such that exceeding the frequency threshold, either above or below the frequency threshold, moves the user to another classification group, wherein the act of selecting second content is based on the act of determining.

22. A method for receiving internet content from a content provider based on at least one prior user experience, comprising:

receiving first content by a user from a content provider, wherein at least some of the first content is transmitted in response to one or more inputs, wherein each input indicates a user selection;

storing frequency information related to the first content, wherein the frequency information tracks a frequency with which the first content is received by the user and is used for classifying the user in one or more classification groups, the one or more classification groups is further based on one or more user interactions;

transmitting a request for content to the server; and

receiving second content selected based on the frequency information wherein the frequency information indicates whether the user has selected a particular type of content and not selected another type of content; and

selecting second content comprises selecting second content that does not contain the particular type of content; and

, wherein the second content is selected based on a determination that the user has exceeded a frequency threshold based on the frequency information, wherein the frequency threshold has at least one of a bottom value and a top value such that exceeding the frequency threshold, either above or below the frequency threshold, moves the user to another classification group.

23. A system for receiving internet content from a content provider based on at least one prior user experience, comprising:

at least one input device for;

receiving first content by a user from a content provider, wherein at least some of the first content is received in response to one or more inputs, wherein each input indicates a user selection; and

receiving second content selected based on stored frequency information wherein the frequency information indicates whether the user has selected a particular type of content and not selected another type of content; and

selecting second content comprises selecting second content that does not contain the particular type of content; and

the frequency information is used for classifying the user in one or more classification groups, the one or more classification groups further based on one or more user interactions, wherein the second content is selected based on a determination that the user has exceeded a frequency threshold based on the frequency information, wherein the frequency threshold has at least one of a bottom value and a top value such that exceeding the frequency threshold, either above or below the frequency threshold, moves the user to another classification group;

a storage device for storing the frequency information related to the first content, wherein the frequency information tracks a frequency with which the first content is received by the at least one input and tracker movement of the user to and from the one or more classification group; and

an output device for transmitting a request for content to the server.

24. A method for providing content to an internet user based on at least one prior user experience, comprising:

transmitting one or more web page documents to a user by a content provider;

receiving by the content provider one or more first content selections from the user based on the one or more web page documents;

directing storage of frequency information in a cookie on the user'"'"'s system, the frequency information adding data related to a frequency of activity with which the user interacts with a website or collection of pages at that website and classifying the user in one or more classification groups, the one or more classification groups further based on one or more user interactions;

receiving a request for a web page document from the user;

receiving the stored frequency information;

selecting a specific web page document based on the stored frequency information wherein the frequency information indicates whether the user has selected a particular type of content and not selected another type of content; and

selecting second content comprises selecting second content that does not contain the particular type of content; and

wherein selecting the specific web page document is based on a determination that the user has exceeded a frequency threshold based on the frequency information, wherein the frequency threshold has at least one of a bottom value and a top value such that exceeding the frequency threshold, either above or below the frequency threshold, moves the user to another classification group; and

transmitting the specific web page document to the user.

25. A system for providing content to an internet user based on at last one prior user experience, comprising:

a controller for directing storage of frequency information in a cookie on a user'"'"'s system, the frequency information adding data related to a frequency of activity with which the user interacts with a website or collection of pages at that website and classifying the user in one or more classification groups, the one or more classification groups further based on one or more user interactions;

at least one output device for;

transmitting one or more web page documents to the user by a content provider; and

transmitting a selected specific web page document to the user;

at least one input device for;

receiving by the content provider one or more first content selections from the user based on the one or more web page documents;

receiving the frequency information from the cookie; and

receiving a request for a web page document from the user; and

a processor for selecting the specific web page document based on the stored frequency information wherein the frequency information indicates whether the user has selected a particular type of content and not selected another type of content; and

selecting second content comprises selecting second content that does not contain the particular type of content; and

wherein the specific web page document is selected based on a determination that the user has exceeded a frequency threshold based on the stored frequency information, wherein the frequency threshold has at least one of a bottom value and a top value such that exceeding the frequency threshold, either above or below the frequency threshold, moves the user to another classification group.