Service for mapping IP addresses to user segments

• US 7,996,521 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions, LLC (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Giles, Harley, Lientz, Andrew, Chamberlain, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao; Ranodhi N
• Application Number:
  US11/942,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 705/7, 705/14.49, 705/7.29, 707/705
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A system is disclosed that uses behavioral data collected by ISPs to categorize particular ISP subscribers. The behavioral data may, for example, include the identities of particular web sites and/or web pages accessed by particular subscribers, the search queries used by the subscribers to conduct Internet searches, and/or other types of behavioral information. The ISP subscribers are assigned to particular behavioral categories or “segments” using a behavioral segmentation schema that maps particular subscriber behaviors to particular behavioral segments. The ISP subscribers may also be mapped to other segment types, such as demographic segments derived from off-line data about the subscribers. The subscriber-to-segment mappings are made available to content targeting entities via a query interface that, for example, supports queries of the form “what are the segments associated with IP address X?”.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling content providers to provide targeted content to users, the method comprising:

generating a database that maps specific IP addresses to specific behavioral segments, said mapping derived from behavioral data collected from each of a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISP), said behavioral data including information collected by the ISPs regarding Internet access activities of their respective subscribers, said behavioral segments reflecting subscriber interests; and

providing content providers access to the database via a query interface, said query interface configured to receive a request that identifies an IP address, and to look up from the database and return information identifying one or more behavioral segments corresponding to the IP address, wherein the query interface is further configured to return the information by at least;

determining whether the IP address can be mapped to a subscriber-specific behavioral segment that is specific to, and based on Internet access activity of, an ISP subscriber associated with the IP address;

when the IP address can be mapped to said subscriber-specific behavioral segment, returning, via the query interface and in response to the request, an identifier of the subscriber-specific behavioral segment and

when the IP address cannot be mapped to a subscriber-specific behavioral segment, returning, via the query interface and in response to the request, an identifier of a region-specific segment that reflects user preferences associated with a geographic region corresponding to the IP address,

wherein the method is performed by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating said database comprises:

providing, to at least first ISP of said plurality of ISPs, access to a behavioral segmentation system that applies a behavioral segmentation process to behavioral data collected by the first ISP; and

receiving over a network, and storing in said database, behavioral segmentation data generated by the behavioral segmentation system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said behavioral data from each of the ISPs, and analyzing the behavioral data in association with information about geographic locations of the corresponding ISP subscribers to generate mappings of particular geographic regions to particular behavioral segments;

providing the content providers access, via said query interface, to said mappings of particular geographic regions to particular behavioral segments.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific IP addresses are additionally mapped to subscriber demographic data collected by said ISPs, and wherein demographic data mapped to the IP address is returned, in addition to the information identifying one or more behavioral segments corresponding to the IP address, in response to said request received via said query interface.

5. A system, comprising:

a computer data repository that maps specific IP addresses to specific behavioral segments, said mapping derived from behavioral data collected from each of a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISP), said behavioral data including information collected by the ISPs regarding Internet access activities of their respective subscribers, said behavioral segments reflecting subscriber interests; and

a server, comprising one or more computing devices, that provides network-based access to the computer data repository via an interface, said interface configured to receive a request that identifies an IP address, and to look up from the computer data repository, and return information identifying, one or more behavioral segments corresponding to the IP address,

wherein the server is programmed to respond to said request according to a method that comprises;

determining whether the IP address can be mapped to a subscriber-specific behavioral segment that is specific to, and based on Internet access activity of, an ISP subscriber associated with the IP address;

when the IP address can be mapped to said subscriber-specific behavioral segment, returning, via the interface and in response to the request, an identifier of the subscriber-specific behavioral segment; and

when the IP address cannot be mapped to a subscriber-specific behavioral segment, returning, via the interface and in response to the request, an identifier of a region-specific segment that reflects user preferences associated with a geographic region corresponding to the IP address.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer data repository further includes, and the interface provides access to, a mapping of geographic regions to behavioral segments, said mapping derived from aggregated behavioral data collected from a plurality of ISPs.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is operative to select said region-specific segment based at least partly on an analysis of an aggregated Internet access activity data of a plurality of ISP subscribers located in said region.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the server is additionally programmed to return the identifier of the region-specific segment when the IP address can be mapped to said subscriber-specific behavioral segment.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer data repository further maps the specific IP addresses to subscriber demographic data collected by said ISPs, and wherein demographic data mapped to the IP address is returned, in addition to the information identifying one or more behavioral segments corresponding to the IP address, in response to said request received via said interface.

10. A system, comprising:

a computer data repository that maps specific IP addresses to specific behavioral segments, said mapping derived from behavioral data collected from each of a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISP), said behavioral data including information collected by the ISPs regarding Internet access activities of their respective subscribers, said behavioral segments reflecting subscriber interests; and

a server, comprising one or more computing devices, that provides network-based access to the computer data repository via an interface, said interface configured to receive a request that identifies an IP address, and to look up from the computer data repository, and return information identifying, one or more behavioral segments corresponding to the IP address,

wherein the server is programmed to respond to said request according to a method that comprises;

determining whether the IP address can be mapped to a subscriber-specific behavioral segment that is specific to, and based on Internet access activity of, an ISP subscriber associated with the IP address;

when the IP address can be mapped to said subscriber-specific behavioral segment, returning, via the interface and in response to the request, an identifier of the subscriber-specific behavioral segment;

when the IP address cannot be mapped to a subscriber-specific behavioral segment, identifying a geographic region corresponding to the IP address, and returning, via the interface and in response to the request, an identifier of a region-specific segment that reflects user preferences associated with the geographic region.