Targeting of advertisements to users of an online service

• US 7,937,288 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blaser, Shane, Agnew, Sean, Kannan, Namakal, Ng, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Bekerman, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/535,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.49, 705/14.73, 705/14.54, 705/14.53
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

There is disclosed a server and local device that interface for selecting advertisements to be viewed by users of an online service based upon user activity. The local device preferably maintains a targeted activity list of activity identifiers and associated advertisements. The local device monitors the activity on the local device and compares the activity to the identifiers in the targeted activity list. If the activity matches one of the identifiers, the local device plays one or more advertisements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining on a server a master activity identifier list comprising at least one match object having a targeted activity identifier and an ad object for each of a plurality of advertisements;

receiving at the server a request from a local device to initiate an online session, wherein the request includes a targeted activity list comprised of one or more activity identifiers and one or more ad objects associated with each activity identifier;

determining at the server that at least one of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list is an invalid activity identifier;

the server notifying the local device of the invalid activity identifiers in the targeted activity list thereby causing the local device to take at least one action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server notifying comprises:

the server causing the local device to remove the invalid activity identifiers from the targeted activity list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the server notifying further comprises:

the server causing the local device to create a modified targeted activity list.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server notifying further comprises:

the server causing the local device to store the modified targeted activity list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity identifiers comprise uniform resource locators.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity identifiers comprise keywords.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

the server comparing each activity identifier in the targeted activity list to the activity identifiers in the master activity identifier list.

the server identifying a non-present activity identifier as invalid if an activity identifier in the targeted activity list is not present in the master activity identifier list.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the server maintaining a list of prohibited activity identifiers

the server determining whether the targeted activity list contains any prohibited activity identifiers.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein activity identifiers that relate to pornographic material are considered prohibited activity identifiers.

10. A server having software which when executed causes the server to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a master activity identifier list comprising at least one match object comprising a targeted activity identifier and an object for each of a plurality of advertisements;

receiving a request from a local device to initiate an online session, wherein the request includes a targeted activity list comprised of one or more activity identifiers and one or more ad objects associated with each activity identifier;

determining that at least one of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list is an invalid activity identifier;

notifying the local device of the invalid activity identifiers in the targeted activity list thereby causing the local device to take at least one action.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the notifying further comprises:

causing the local device to remove the invalid activity identifiers from the targeted activity list maintained by the local device.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the notifying further comprises:

causing the local device to create a modified targeted activity list.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the notifying further comprises:

causing the local device to store the modified targeted activity list.

14. The server of claim 10, wherein the activity identifiers comprise uniform resource locators.

15. The server of claim 10, wherein the activity identifiers comprise keywords.

16. The server of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises:

comparing each activity identifier in the targeted activity list to the activity identifiers in the master activity identifier list;

identifying a nonpresent activity identifier as invalid when an activity identifier in the targeted activity list is not present in the master activity identifier list.

17. The server of claim 10, having further software which when executed causes the server to perform further operations comprising:

maintaining a list of prohibited activity identifiers;

wherein the determining comprises evaluating whether the targeted activity list contains any prohibited activity identifiers.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein activity identifiers that relate to pornographic material are considered prohibited activity identifiers.