System, method and computer program product for presenting information to a user utilizing historical information about the user

• US 7,181,488 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Claria Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Anthony G., Veteska, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thong
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HAI V
• Application Number:
  US10/057,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709/217, 709/224, 709/231, 709/232, 709/202, 709/227, 709/219, 705/1, 705/76, 705/8, 705/10, 705/14, 705/27, 705/52, 707/2, 707/3, 707/100, 463/42, 717/174
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are disclosed for presenting information to a user. At a client, information about a user is collected. Via a network, the collected information is transmitted from the client to a location so that a user profile for the user can be generated based on the collected information. Based on the generated user profile, content is selected for the user. At the client, the content is received via the network and then subsequently presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method for presenting information, comprising:

collecting, at a client, information about a user utilizing a local application persistently residing on the client and executing independently of a client web engine, the information about the user including navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the navigation behavior being monitored at the client by the local application;

transmitting via a network the collected information from the local application on the client to a location for generating a user profile for the user based on the collected information, wherein content is selected for the user based on the generated user profile;

receiving the content at the client via the network; and

presenting the content to the user at the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the user includes information relating to network utilization behaviors and attributes of the user, and wherein the navigation behavior includes information of domains visited by the user, number of pages viewed by the user and time spent by the user at a site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile of the user includes model-generated information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes one or more rules for controlling the presentment of the content to the user at the client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information transmitted to the location includes an identifier, and wherein at least a portion of the content is selected based on the identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a fee is generated when the content is selected, and wherein the fee is charged to a party associated with the selected content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user accesses sites coupled to the network utilizing a browser application hosted by the client computer and monitored by the local application.

8. A system for presenting information, comprising:

a network;

a client coupled to the network;

a local application on the client, the local application, persistently residing thereon and executing independently of a client web engine, being adapted for collecting at the client information about a user of the client, the information about the user including navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the navigation behavior being monitored at the client by the local application;

the local application being adapted for transmitting, via the network, the collected information at the client to a remote location coupled to the network;

the location being adapted for generating a user profile for the user based on the collected information and selecting content for the user based on the generated user profile; and

the local application being adapted for receiving, via the network, the selected content from the location and presenting the content to the user at the client.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information about the user includes information relating to network utilization behaviors and attributes of the user, and

wherein the navigation behavior includes information of domains visited by the user, number of pages viewed by the user and time spent by the user at a site.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the user profile of the user includes model-generated information.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the content includes one or more rules for controlling the presentment of the content to the user by the local application.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the information transmitted to the location includes an identifier, and wherein at least a portion of the content is selected based on the identifier.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein a fee is generated when the content is selected, and wherein the fee is charged to a party associated with the selected content.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the user accesses sites coupled to the network utilizing a browser application hosted by the client and monitored by the local application.

15. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium for presenting information, comprising:

computer code that collects at a client information about a user utilizing an application persistently residing on the client and executing independently of a client web engine, the information about the user including navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the navigation behavior being monitored at the client by the application;

computer code that transmits via a network the collected information from the application on the client to a location for generating a user profile for the user based on the collected information, wherein content is selected for the user based on the generated user profile;

computer code that receives the content at the client via the network; and

computer code that presents the content to the user at the client.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information about the user includes information relating to network utilization behaviors and attributes of the user, and wherein the navigation behavior includes information of domains visited by the user, number of pages viewed by the user and time spent by the user at a site.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user profile of the user includes model-generated information.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the content includes one or more rules for controlling the presentment of the content to the user at the client.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information transmitted to the location includes an identifier, and wherein at least a portion of the content is selected based on the identifier.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein a fee is generated when the content is selected, and wherein the fee is charged to a party associated with the selected content.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user accesses sites coupled to the network utilizing a browser application hosted by the client and monitored by the application.

22. A system for presenting information, comprising:

means for collecting information about a user at a client utilizing an application persistently residing on the client and executing independently of a client web engine, the information about the user including navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the navigation behavior being monitored at the client by the application;

means for transmitting via a network the collected information from the application on the client to a location for generating a user profile for the user based on the collected information, wherein content is selected for the user based on the generated user profile;

means for receiving the content at the client via the network; and

means for presenting the content to the user at the client.

23. A method for presenting information, comprising:

receiving via a network, information about a user collected by an application persistently residing on the client and executing independently of a client web engine, the information about the user including information about a navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the information about the navigation behavior being monitored at the client by the application;

generating a user profile for the user based on the information;

selecting content for presenting the user based on the user profile; and

transmitting the content to the client via the network, wherein the content is presented to the user by application on the client.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the information about the user includes information relating to network utilization behaviors and attributes of the user, and

wherein the navigation behavior includes information of domains visited by the user, number of pages viewed by the user and time spent by the user at a site.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the userprofile of the user includes model-generated information.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the content includes one or more rules for controlling the presentment of the content to the user at the client.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the information transmitted to the location includes an identifier, and wherein at least a portion of the content is selected based on the identifier.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein a fee is generated when the content is elected, and wherein the fee is charged to a party associated with the selected content.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the user accesses sites coupled to the network utilizing a browser application hosted by the client.

30. A system for presenting information, comprising:

a server coupled to a network and being adapted for receiving utilizing a network information about a user collected by an application persistently residing on a client and executing independently of a client web engine, the information about the user including information about a navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the information about the navigation behavior being monitored at the client by the application;

the server being adapted for generating a user profile for the user based on the information collected by the application;

selecting content for presenting the user based on the user profile; and

transmitting the content to the client via the network, wherein the content is presented to the user by the application on the client.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the information about the user includes information relating to network utilization behaviors and attributes of the user, and wherein the navigation behavior includes information of domains visited by the user, number of pages viewed by the user and time spent by the user at a site.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the user profile of the user includes model-generated information.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the content includes one or more rules for controlling the presentment of the content to the user at the client.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the information transmitted to the location includes an identifier, and wherein at least a portion of the content is selected based on the identifier.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein a fee is generated when the content is selected, and wherein the fee is charged to a party associated with the selected content.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the user accesses sites coupled to the network utilizing a browser application hosted by the client.

37. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium for presenting information, comprising:

computer code that receives utilizing a network information about a user collected by an application persistently residing on a client and executing independently of a web client engine, the information about the user including information about a navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the information about the navigation behavior being monitored at the client;

computer code that generates a user profile for the user based on the information;

computer code that selects content for presenting the user based on the user profile; and

computer code that transmits the content to the client via the network, wherein the client presents the content to the user.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the information about the user includes information relating to network utilization behaviors and attributes of the user, and wherein the navigation behavior includes information of domains visited by the user, number of pages viewed by the user and time spent by the user at a site.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the user profile of the user includes model-generated information.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the content includes one or more rules for controlling the presentment of the content to the user at the client.

41. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the information transmitted to the location includes an identifier, and wherein at least a portion of the content is selected based on the identifier.

42. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein a fee is generated when the content is selected, and wherein the fee is charged to a party associated with the selected content.

43. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the user accesses sites coupled to the network utilizing a first application hosted by the client, and wherein the content is displayed utilizing a second application hosted by the client.

44. A system for presenting information, comprising:

Means for receiving utilizing a network information about a user collected at a client;

by an application persistently residing on the client and executing independently of a client web engine, the information about the user including information about a navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites, the information about the navigation behavior being monitored at the client by the application;

means for generating a user profile for the user based on the information;

means for selecting content for presenting the user based on the user profile; and

means for transmitting the content to the client via the network, wherein the content is presented to the user by the application on the client.

45. A method, comprising:

utilizing a message client system persistently residing on a client computer and executing independently of a client web engine to monitor use of a browser application on the client computer by a user to collect information, at the client computer, about a navigation behavior of the user across multiple websites;

transmitting the collected information from the client computer to a remote location via a network, the location generating a profile of the user based on the collected information received from the client computer, selecting content for the user, and providing the selected content to the message client system via the network, the content further including a rule for initiating the presentment of the content to the user based on subsequent use of the browser application by the user; and

presenting the content to the user using the message client system if the message client system determines that the use of the browser application by the user satisfies the rule.