Dynamic resource matching system

• US 9,443,255 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Steenstra, Jack, Gantman, Alexander, Taylor, Kirk S., Chen, Liren
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US14/170,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 4554561-457, 455/466, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for implementing resource and/or location-based matching services between a wireless terminal (e.g., mobile phone) user and one or more resources. A novel infrastructure supports resource and/or location based matching services over a wireless network. A back-end system includes a database, server, and match engine that are configured match a user with one or more resources based on the user'"'"'s characteristics, preferences, and/or location. Such resources include (1) other users, (2) targeted advertising, (3) businesses/networking opportunities, and/or (4) locate a nearby service or store. A flexible database architecture supports application-specific resources which facilitate the deployment of various matching services. Application developers are thus able to implement different resource-matching applications for wireless devices through a common back-end infrastructure. Additionally, the match engine may include a feedback mechanism that permits the match engine to learn a user'"'"'s preferences.

Claims

1. A method of operating a matching apparatus configured to deliver targeted advertisements, comprising:

providing an application developer with a platform that permits the application developer with developer-specific data fields;

receiving a set of match criteria pertaining to a user of a client device;

weighting the set of match criteria based on a plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices to produce a ranking for a plurality of advertisements, wherein the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices each define a different set of weights for weighting the set of match criteria for different advertisements, and wherein a master list of match criteria from which the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices is populated with weights is defined by the application developer via the developer-specific data fields;

selecting at least one of the plurality of advertisements corresponding to at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices based on the ranking;

delaying delivery of the at least one selected advertisement until the matching apparatus detects that the client device is operating during an off-peak time period in terms of network load, and then delivering the at least one selected advertisement to the client device upon detection of the off-peak time period with an expectation that the client device will store the at least one selected advertisement for presentation to the user at a later point in time;

obtaining feedback indicative of a degree to which the user shows interest in and/or interacts with the at least one selected advertisement after the delivery; and

adjusting the set of weights for the at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices corresponding to the at least one selected advertisement based on the feedback,

wherein the set of match criteria includes one or more of a current location of the client device and/or a set of user preferences that characterizes attributes associated with the user of the client device,

wherein the at least one selected advertisement identifies a business based on a location of the business being proximate to the client device and the set of user preferences indicating that the user of the client device is interested in a product or service offered by the business,

wherein the set of user preferences includes one or more of a gender of the user, an age of the user, an economic profile of the user, a set of food preferences of the user and/or a set of entertainment preferences of the user, and

wherein the delivering delivers the at least one selected advertisement upon detection of the off-peak time period with an expectation that the client device will store the at least one selected advertisement for presentation to the user at a later point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback includes an indication regarding whether the user selected the at least one selected advertisement for interaction.

3. A matching apparatus configured to deliver targeted advertisements, comprising:

means for providing an application developer with a platform that permits the application developer with developer-specific data fields;

means for receiving a set of match criteria pertaining to a user of a client device;

means for weighting the set of match criteria based on a plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices to produce a ranking for a plurality of advertisements, wherein the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices each define a different set of weights for weighting the set of match criteria for different advertisements, and wherein a master list of match criteria from which the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices is populated with weights defined by the application developer via the developer-specific data fields;

means for selecting at least one of the plurality of advertisements corresponding to at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices based on the ranking;

means for delivering the at least one selected advertisement to the client device, the delivery of the at least one selected advertisement being delayed until the matching apparatus detects that the client device is operating during an off-peak time period in terms of network load;

means for obtaining feedback indicative of a degree to which the user shows interest in and/or interacts with the at least one selected advertisement after the delivery; and

means for adjusting the set of weights for the at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices corresponding to the at least one selected advertisement based on the feedback,

wherein the set of match criteria includes one or more of a current location of the client device and/or a set of user preferences that characterizes attributes associated with the user of the client device,

wherein the at least one selected advertisement identifies a business based on a location of the business being proximate to the client device and the set of user preferences indicating that the user of the client device is interested in a product or service offered by the business, and

wherein the set of user preferences includes one or more of a gender of the user, an age of the user, an economic profile of the user, a set of food preferences of the user and/or a set of entertainment preferences of the user.

4. The matching apparatus of claim 3, wherein the feedback includes an indication regarding whether the user selected the at least one selected advertisement for interaction.

5. A matching apparatus configured to deliver targeted advertisements, comprising:

a processing unit, a component and/or a communication interface configured to;

provide an application developer with a platform that permits the application developer with developer-specific data fields;

receive obtain a set of match criteria pertaining to a user of a client device;

weight the set of match criteria based on a plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices to produce a ranking for a plurality of advertisements, wherein the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices each define a different set of weights for weighting the set of match criteria for different advertisements, and wherein a master list of match criteria from which the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices is populated with weights defined by the application developer via the developer-specific data fields;

select at least one of the plurality of advertisements corresponding to at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices based on the ranking;

deliver the at least one selected advertisement to the client device, the delivery of the at least one selected advertisement being delayed until the matching apparatus detects that the client device is operating during an off-peak time period in terms of network load;

obtain feedback indicative of a degree to which the user shows interest in and/or interacts with the at least one selected advertisement after the delivery; and

adjust the set of weights for the at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices corresponding to the at least one selected advertisement based on the feedback,

wherein the set of match criteria includes one or more of a current location of the client device and/or a set of user preferences that characterizes attributes associated with the user of the client device,

wherein the at least one selected advertisement identifies a business based on a location of the business being proximate to the client device and the set of user preferences indicating that the user of the client device is interested in a product or service offered by the business, and

wherein the set of user preferences includes one or more of a gender of the user, an age of the user, an economic profile of the user, a set of food preferences of the user and/or a set of entertainment preferences of the user.

6. The matching apparatus of claim 5, wherein the component corresponds to a storage device that stores the set of match criteria or to the communication interface that receives the set of match criteria.

7. The matching apparatus of claim 5, wherein the feedback includes an indication regarding whether the user selected the at least one selected advertisement for interaction.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with one or more computer executable instructions for resource matching, which, when executed by a resource apparatus, cause the resource apparatus to perform operations, the one or more computer executable instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to cause the resource apparatus to provide an application developer with a platform that permits the application developer with developer-specific data fields;

at least one instruction to cause the resource apparatus to receive a set of match criteria pertaining to a user of a client device;

at least one instruction to cause the resource apparatus to weight the set of match criteria based on a plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices to produce a ranking for a plurality of advertisements, wherein the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices each define a different set of weights for weighting the set of match criteria for different advertisements, and wherein a master list of match criteria from which the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices is populated with weights defined by the application developer via the developer-specific data fields;

at least one instruction to cause the resource apparatus to select at least one of the plurality of advertisements corresponding to at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices based on the ranking;

at least one instruction to cause the resource apparatus to deliver the at least one selected advertisement to the client device, the delivery of the at least one selected advertisement being delayed until the resource apparatus detects that the client device is operating during an off-peak time period in terms of network load;

at least one instruction to cause the resource apparatus to obtain feedback indicative of a degree to which the user shows interest in and/or interacts with the at least one selected advertisement after the delivery; and

at least one instruction to cause the resource apparatus to adjust the set of weights for the at least one of the plurality of advertisement-specific weighting matrices corresponding to the at least one selected advertisement based on the feedback,

wherein the set of match criteria includes one or more of a current location of the client device and/or a set of user preferences that characterizes attributes associated with the user of the client device,

wherein the at least one selected advertisement identifies a business based on a location of the business being proximate to the client device and the set of user preferences indicating that the user of the client device is interested in a product or service offered by the business, and

wherein the set of user preferences includes one or more of a gender of the user, an age of the user, an economic profile of the user, a set of food preferences of the user and/or a set of entertainment preferences of the user.