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

• US 10,296,521 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• 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 K., Wang, Wen-Wei, Long, Tara
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US14/831,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• 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 computer implemented system that provides Internet content to a user based on prior user experience, the computer implemented system comprising:

an output device that transmits, via a communication network, 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 user interacts with the first content and the frequency information and is used for classify the user in one or more user classification groups;

a receiving device that receives, via a communication network, a request for content from the user; and

a computer 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 subset and determines 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 further transmits the second content to the user, via a communication network.

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

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

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

5. The system of claim 1, wherein directing storage involves directing storage of the frequency information in a cookie in a user storage system located in a mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected second content comprises at least one of:

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

7. The system 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.

8. The system 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.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second content comprises at least one selected from the group comprising:

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.

10. The system 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.

11. A computer implemented method for providing content to an internet user based on at least one prior user experience, the computer implemented method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, via a communication network, 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 user interacts with the first content and the frequency information is used to classify the user in one or more user classification groups;

receiving, via a communication network, a request for content from the user;

automatically selecting second content for the user based on the frequency information wherein the frequency information indicates whether the user has selected a particular subset of content;

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

transmitting, via a communication network, the second content to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more user content selections comprise requests for content from a specific content provider or specific web domain.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the frequency information comprises information relating to a frequency of a particular event related to content received by the user.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the frequency information comprises information relating to a frequency of a particular event related to the user content selections.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein directing storage involves directing storage of the frequency information in a cookie in a user storage system located in a mobile device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected second content comprises at least one of:

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

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

18. The method of claim 11, 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.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second content comprises at least one selected from the group comprising:

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.

20. The method of claim 11, 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.