Methods and systems for inducing behavior in a population cohort

• US 8,150,796 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Leuthardt, Eric C., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Wood, JR., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): FERNANDEZ RIVAS, OMAR F
• Application Number:
  US12/005,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Avatars, methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that carry out identifying a member of a population cohort; and inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a member of a population cohort; and

inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatars,

where each step is performed using a suitably programmed microprocessor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying a member of a population cohort comprises:

identifying a member of a demographic population cohort.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying a member of a population cohort comprises:

identifying a member of at least one of an age, gender, or ethnicity population cohort.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying a member of a population cohort comprises:

selecting a member of a population cohort.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing a set of behaviors in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one purchasing behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one internet usage behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one shopping behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one gameplay behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one social interaction behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one behavior in at least one of an online shopper, an online gamer, a virtual world participant, or a social networking site participant based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one behavior in a member of a demographic population based on an association between the demographic population and at least one avatar linked to the demographic population.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on a statistical association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one avatar linked to the member of the population cohort.

15. A system comprising:

circuitry for identifying a member of a population cohort; and

circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for identifying a member of a population cohort comprises:

circuitry for identifying a member of a demographic population cohort.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for identifying a member of a population cohort comprises:

circuitry for identifying a member of at least one of an age, gender, or ethnicity population cohort.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for identifying a member of a population cohort comprises:

circuitry for selecting a member of a population cohort.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing a set of behaviors in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one purchasing behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one internet usage behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one shopping behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one gameplay behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one shopping behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one social interaction behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one shopping behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in at least one of an online shopper, an online gamer, a virtual world participant, or a social networking site participant based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one shopping behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in a member of a demographic population based on an association between the demographic population and at least one avatar linked to the demographic population.

27. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for inducing at least one shopping behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on a statistical association between the population cohort and the at least one cohort-linked avatar.

28. The system of claim 15 wherein the circuitry for identifying a member of a population cohort comprises:

circuitry for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one avatar linked to the member of the population cohort.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing

(a) one or more instructions for identifying a member of a population cohort; and

(b) one or more instructions for inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar.

30. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to

(a) identify a member of a population cohort; and

(b) induce at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the computing device comprises:

one or more of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal entertainment device, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet personal computer, a networked computer, a computing system comprised of a cluster of processors, a computing system comprised of a cluster of servers, a workstation computer, and/or a desktop computer.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the computing device is operable to identify a member of a population cohort from at least one memory.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the computing device is operable to predict from at least one memory at least one behavior of the member of the population cohort based on an association between the behavior and at least one cohort-linked avatar.