Methods and systems for presenting online content elements based on information known to a service provider

• US 9,430,517 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Murray, Sean MacLean, Fortier, Stphane Maxime Franois, Bouchard, Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard, Djenane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain, Farrukh
• Application Number:
  US12/227,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,231 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Methods and systems for presenting online content elements based on information known to a service provider. One of the methods is a method for presenting online content at a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus being assigned an identifier. The method comprises: obtaining information that pertains to a profile associated with the identifier and provided by a service provider involved in assigning the identifier to the communication apparatus; determining an online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the information; and causing the communication apparatus to present the online content element. Another one of the methods is a method for facilitating determination of online content to be presented at a communication apparatus. Servers for implementing the methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for presenting online content at a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus using a network access service provided by a service provider to exchange data over a packet-switched network, the communication apparatus being assigned an identifier by the service provider, said method comprising:

sending a request to a network component associated with the service provider, the request conveying the identifier and requesting service point location information pertaining to the communication apparatus;

receiving the service point location information;

determining an online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the service point location information; and

causing the communication apparatus to present the online content element,

wherein the identifier comprises one of;

a logical identifier allowing the communication apparatus to exchange data over the packet-switched network;

an IP address; and

a profile identifier used to identify the profile but not required by the communication apparatus to exchange data over the packet-switched network.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the online content element is an online advertisement.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the online content element is a primary content element of a network site accessed by the communication apparatus.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the online content element is an online page.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sending, said receiving, said determining and said causing are performed by an ad server associated with a network site accessed by the communication apparatus.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, comprising implementing the network site accessed by the communication apparatus.

7. A method for facilitating determination of online content to be presented at communication apparatus, the communication apparatus using a network access service provided by a service provider to exchange data over a packet-switched network, the communication apparatus being assigned an identifier by the service provider, said method comprising:

receiving a request from a network component associated with a network site accessed by the communication apparatus, the request conveying the identifier and requesting service point location information pertaining to the communication apparatus;

consulting a database to obtain the service point location information; and

transmitting the service point location information to the network component to allow the network component to determine an online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the service point location information,

wherein the identifier comprises one of;

a logical identifier allowing the communication apparatus to exchange data over the packet-switched network;

an IP address; and

a profile identifier used to identify the profile but not required by the communication apparatus to exchange data over the packet-switched network.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, said method comprising assigning the identifier to the communication apparatus.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the online content element is an online advertisement.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the online content element is a primary content element of the network site.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the online content element is an online page.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the network component is an ad server associated with the network site.

13. A method as claims in claim 10, wherein the network component implements the network site.

14. A server for facilitating determination of online content to be presented at a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus using a network access service provided by a service provider to exchange data over a packet-switched network, the communication apparatus being assigned an identifier by the service provider, said server comprising:

an interface for receiving and sending data; and

a memory for storing instructions;

a processor coupled to said interface and said memory and operative for executing the instructions for;

receiving via the interface a request from a network component associated with a network site accessed by the communication apparatus, the request conveying the identifier and requesting service point location information pertaining to the communication apparatus;

consulting a database to obtain the service point location information; and

transmitting the service point location information to the network component to allow the network component to determine an online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the service point location information,

wherein the identifier comprises one of;

a logical identifier allowing the communication apparatus to exchange data over the packet-switched network;

an IP address; and

a profile identifier used to identify the profile but not required by the communication apparatus to exchange data over the packet-switched network.

15. The server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the online content element is an online advertisement.

16. The server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the online content element is a primary content element of the network site.

17. The server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the online content element is an online page.

18. The server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the network component is an ad server associated with the network site.

19. The server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the network component implements the network site.