Methods and systems for targeting user initiated social events

• US 10,248,959 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Klish, Aaron J., Muchnik, Greg, Ahrens, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanderhorst, Maria V
• Application Number:
  US13/273,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,727 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Techniques are provided which allow targeting social events. Methods and systems allow a user to register a social event which involves a group of users watching a program on a television on a social networking platform. Information related to the event may be obtained and the group of users may be classified as belonging to one or more targeting segments based at least in part on the information related to the event. One or more advertisements may be selected based at least in part on the one or more targeting segments. The one or more advertisements may be transmitted such that the one or more advertisements are displayed on the television.

Claims

1. A computerized method comprising:

receiving over the Internet, user initiated event registration information of an event from a user, the event created by using a social networking platform, and the user initiated event registration information obtained from the social networking platform, the event involving a future plan for a social networking event group of users to watch a program on an Internet connected user device, wherein the device is configured to cause display of television programs, and the device includes a television or a television connected device, and the user initiated event registration information including a selection of an option for advertisers to target the social networking event group of users at the event, and a predetermined location of the event and wherein the social networking event group of users are invited to attend the event via the social networking platform and register to the event via the social networking platform;

obtaining programming content information relating to the event from the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group including the Internet connected user device configured to display television programs, wherein the programming content information includes meta-data related to programming content, a channel currently being watched, a duration the channel has been watched, and a program being watched;

classifying each user of the social networking event group of users as belonging to one or more targeting segments based at least in part on the information obtained from the social networking platform and information obtained from one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group present at the event, including the programming content information relating to the event and classifying a host of the event into a particular targeting segment;

selecting one or more advertisements based at least in part on the one or more targeting segments and interests of the users present at the event, wherein the targeting segments are shared by each user of the social networking event group of users;

determining one or more individual users of the social networking event group of users registered to the event being present at the predetermined location of the event based on the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group;

sending by a broadcast agent to the user devices related meta-data and a notification to display the selected advertisements at a predetermined time for a predetermined duration, wherein the broadcast agent includes a service provider for streaming programming content and the related meta-data to the user devices;

selecting, by one or more computers, a display approach for the one or more advertisements that causes the one or more advertisements to be targeted to the social networking event group of users collectively by displaying on the Internet connected user device configured to display television programs and to one or more individual users of the social networking event group of users when present at the predetermined location of the event by displaying on the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group;

requesting the selected advertisements by the user devices at the predetermined time from an advertisement selection system; and

transmitting the one or more advertisements to the user devices such that the one or more advertisements, based on shared targeting segments and interests of the users present in the group, are displayed on the Internet connected user device present at the predetermined location and the at least one other user device in accordance with the display approach.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the event comprises time of the event, date of the event, users who are attending the event, and content being watched at the event.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using one or more computers, classifying each user of the social networking event group of users as belonging to one or more individual targeting segments based at least in part on the event information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

using one or more computers, identifying one or more shared targeting segments among the one or more individual targeting segments to represent the social networking event group of users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the television is operably connected to a gaming console configured to access the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the one or more advertisements further comprises:

transmitting the one or more advertisements during the event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more advertisements are transmitted in response to a request from the television.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display approach includes pushing the one or more advertisements to one of the television or a device connected to the television and to at least one other user device that is determined to be present at the same predetermined location as the event and associated with an individual user of the social networking event group of users such that the one or more advertisements are displayed at a predetermined time on the television and on the at least one other user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the display approach includes generating a notification to one of the television or the device connected to the television and the at least one other user device such that the notification causes the television and the at least one other user device to display the one or more advertisements for a predetermined duration at a predetermined time.

10. A system comprising:

one or more server computers coupled to a network; and

one or more databases coupled to the one or more server computers;

the one or more server computers being configured to;

receiving over the Internet, user initiated event registration information of an event from a user, the event created by using a social networking platform, and the user initiated event registration information obtained from the social networking platform, the event involving a future plan for a social networking event group of users to watch a program on an Internet connected user device, wherein the device is configured to cause display of television programs, and the device includes a television or a television connected device, and the user initiated event registration information including a selection of an option for advertisers to target the social networking event group of users at the event, and a predetermined location of the event and wherein the group of users are invited to attend the event via the social networking platform and register to the event via the social networking platform;

obtain programming content information relating to the event from the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group including the Internet connected user device configured to display television programs, wherein the programming content information includes meta-data related to programming content, a channel currently being watched, a duration the channel has been watched, and a program being watched;

classify each user of the social networking event group of users as belonging to one or more targeting segments based at least in part on the information obtained from the social networking platform and information obtained from one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group present at the event, including the programming content information relating to the event and classifying a host of the event into a particular targeting segment;

select one or more advertisements based at least in part on the one or more targeting segments, wherein the targeting segments and interests of the users present at the event are shared by each user of the social networking event group of users;

determine one or more individual users of the social networking event group of users registered to the event being present at the predetermined location of the event based on the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group;

send by a broadcast agent to the user devices related meta-data and a notification to display the selected advertisements at a predetermined time for a predetermined duration, wherein the broadcast agent includes a service provider for streaming programming content and the related meta-data to the user devices;

select a display approach for the one or more advertisements that causes the one or more advertisements to be targeted to the social networking event group of users collectively by displaying on the Internet connected user device configured to display television programs and to one or more individual users of the social networking event group of users when present at the predetermined location of the event by displaying on the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group;

request the selected advertisements by the user devices at the predetermined time from an advertisement selection system; and

transmit the one or more advertisements to the user devices such that the one or more advertisements, based on shared targeting segments and interests of the users present in the group, are displayed on the Internet connected user device present at the predetermined location and the at least one other user device in accordance with the display approach.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the information relating to the event comprises time of the event, date of the event, users who are attending the event, and content being watched at the event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to:

classifying each user of the social networking event group of users as belonging to one or more individual targeting segments based at least in part on the event information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to:

identify one or more shared targeting segments among the one or more individual targeting segments to represent the social networking event group of users.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the television is operably connected to a gaming console configured to access the Internet.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein transmitting the one or more advertisements further comprises:

transmitting the one or more advertisements during the event.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more advertisements are transmitted in response to a request from the television.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to:

offer the user one or more of cash, discounts, and coupons for registering the event and for advertisers to target the social networking event group of users at the event.

18. A computer program product embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium or media containing instructions executable by a computer processor for executing a method comprising:

receiving over the Internet, user initiated event registration information of an event from a user, the event created by using a social networking platform, and the user initiated event registration information obtained from the social networking platform, the event involving a future plan for a social networking event group of users to watch a program on an Internet connected user device, wherein the device is configured to cause display of television programs, and the device includes a television or a television connected device, and the user initiated event registration information including a selection of an option for advertisers to target the social networking event group of users at the event, and a predetermined location of the event and wherein the social networking event group of users are invited to attend the event via the social networking platform and register to the event via the social networking platform;

obtaining programming content information relating to the event from the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group including the Internet connected user device configured to display television programs, wherein the programming content information includes meta-data related to programming content, a channel currently being watched, a duration the channel has been watched, and a program being watched;

classifying each user of the social networking event group of users as belonging to one or more individual targeting segments based at least in part on the information obtained from the social networking platform and information obtained from one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group present at the event, including the programming content information and event information and classifying a host of the event into a particular targeting segment;

identifying one or more shared targeting segments among the one or more individual targeting segments to represent the social networking event group of users;

selecting one or more advertisements based at least in part on the one or more shared targeting segments and interests of the users present at the event;

determining one or more individual users of the social networking event group of users registered to the event being present at the predetermined location of the event based on the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group;

sending by a broadcast agent to the user devices related meta-data and a notification to display the selected advertisements at a predetermined time for a predetermined duration, wherein the broadcast agent includes a service provider for streaming programming content and the related meta-data to the user devices;

selecting, by one or more computers, a display approach for the one or more advertisements that causes the one or more advertisements to be targeted to the social networking event group of users collectively by displaying on the Internet connected user device configured to display television programs and to one or more individual users of the social networking event group of users when present at the predetermined location of the event by displaying on the one or more electronic devices of the one or more individual users of the social networking event group;

requesting the selected advertisements by the user devices at the predetermined time from an advertisement selection system; and

transmitting the one or more advertisements to the user devices such that the one or more advertisements, based on shared targeting segments and interests of the users present in the group, are displayed on the Internet connected user device present at the predetermined location and the at least one other user device in accordance with the display approach.