Systems and methods for targeted advertisement delivery

• US 8,744,906 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fordyce, Edward W. III, Winters, Michelle Eng, Siegel, Kevin Paul, Amaro, Leigh, Byce, Charles Raymond, Savas, Nurtekin, VonDerheide, James Alan, Salmon, Diane C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastra, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/221,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to receive a request for a profile to customize information for presentation to a user identified in the request and, responsive to the request identifying the user, provide the profile that is generated based on transaction data of the user. The profile summarizes the transaction data of the user using a plurality of values representing aggregated spending in various areas. The information includes an advertisement selected, prioritized, adjusted, or generated based on the profile. The advertisement includes at least an offer, such as a discount, incentive, reward, coupon, gift, cash back, benefit, product, or service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, in a computing apparatus, a request for a profile to customize information for presentation to a user identified in the request; and

responsive to the request identifying the user, providing by the computing apparatus the profile of the user, wherein the profile is generated based on

identifying a plurality of factors from a factor analysis of spending variables as applied to transaction data of a plurality of users, wherein the spending variables aggregate spending in the transaction data according to merchant categories, and

applying transaction data of the user to the plurality of factors, identified from the factor analysis, to determine a plurality of values representing aggregated spending in various areas;

wherein the transaction data are related to a plurality of transactions processed at a transaction handler, each of the transactions being processed to make a payment from an issuer to an acquirer via the transaction handler in response to an account identifier, as issued by the issuer to the user, being submitted by a merchant to the acquirer, the issuer to make the payment on behalf of the user, the acquirer to receive the payment on behalf of the merchant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the spending variables include spending frequency variables and spending amount variables.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile is calculated prior to the request;

and the method further comprises;

selecting the profile from a plurality of profiles based on the request identifying the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the transaction data of the user based on the request identifying the user; and

calculating the profile based on the transaction data in response to the request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transactions processed by the transaction handler are classified in a plurality of merchant categories;

and the plurality of values are fewer than the plurality of merchant categories to summarize aggregated spending in the plurality of merchant categories.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of values indicates a level of aggregated spending of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is identified in the request via an IP address;

and the method further comprises;

identifying the account identifier of the user based on the IP address.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing account data including a street address of the user;

mapping the IP address to a street address of a computing device; and

identifying the account identifier of the user based on matching the street address of the computing device and the street address of the user stored in the account data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is identified in the request via an identifier of a browser cookie associated with the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the information customized according to the profile; and

presenting the information to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information comprises an advertisement selected, prioritized, adjusted, or generated based on the profile.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the advertisement comprises at least an offer selected from the group consisting of:

discount, incentive, reward, coupon, gift, cash back, benefit, product, and service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the profile using the transaction data of the user based on cluster definitions and factor definitions, wherein the cluster definitions and factor definitions are generated based on transaction data of a plurality of users.

14. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, in a computing apparatus, a request for a profile to customize information for presentation to a user identified in the request; and

responsive to the request identifying the user, providing by the computing apparatus the profile of the user, wherein the profile is generated based on

identifying a plurality of factors from a factor analysis of spending variables as applied to transaction data of a plurality of users, wherein the spending variables aggregate spending in the transaction data according to merchant categories, and

applying transaction data of the user to the plurality of factors, identified from the factor analysis, to determine a plurality of values representing aggregated spending in various areas;

wherein the transaction data are related to a plurality of transactions processed at a transaction handler, each of the transactions being processed to make a payment from an issuer to an acquirer via the transaction handler in response to an account identifier, as issued by the issuer to the user, being submitted by a merchant to the acquirer, the issuer to make the payment on behalf of the user, the acquirer to receive the payment on behalf of the merchant.

15. A system, comprising:

a transaction handler to process transactions, each of the transactions being processed to make a payment from an issuer to an acquirer via the transaction handler in response to an account identifier of a customer, as issued by the issuer, being submitted by a merchant to the acquirer, the issuer to make the payment on behalf of the customer, the acquirer to receive the payment on behalf of the merchant;

a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler;

a profile generator to generate a profile of a user based on

identifying a plurality of factors from a factor analysis of spending variables as applied to transaction data of a plurality of users, wherein the spending variables aggregate spending in the transaction data according to merchant categories, and

applying the transaction data of the user to the plurality of factors, identified from the factor analysis, to determine a plurality of values representing aggregated spending of the user in various areas; and

a portal to receive a request identifying the user and to provide the profile in response to the request to facilitate customization of information to be presented to the user.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a profile selector to select the profile from a plurality of profiles generated by the profile generator based on the request identifying the user;

wherein the profile generator generates the plurality of profiles and stores the plurality of profiles in the data warehouse.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an advertisement selector to customize an advertisement in the information according to the profile.