Method and System for Presenting Targeted Advertisements

Abstract

A method and system for presenting targeted advertisements to a subscriber includes extracting probabilistic information about subscriber activities from one or more source and processing the probabilistic information about subscriber activities to generate a subscriber characterization vector.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 591,577, filed Jun. 9, 2000, and entitled Privacy Protected Advertising System, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60 / 183,409, filed Feb. 18, 2000, entitled Ad Matching Service; 60 / 190,341, filed Mar. 16, 2000, entitled Privacy Protected Filtering and Profiling System; and 60 / 196,375, filed Apr. 12, 2000, entitled Ad Matching Service. U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 591,577 is a Continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 204,888, filed Dec. 3, 1998, and entitled Subscriber Characterization System, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,030. The entire disclosures of all of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.[0002]This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 205,653, filed Dec. 3, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,010; Ser. No. 09 / 205,119, filed Dec. 3, 1998, now Abandoned; Ser. No. 09 / 268,519, filed Mar. 12, 1999, now ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The present invention is directed at a system and a method for providing subscribers / consumers with advertisements that are more directed to their lifestyles, while ensuring that their demographic, purchase, and product preference data is maintained private. The present invention allows manufacturers and advertisers to use their advertising dollars more effectively across a multitude of media platforms including video and Internet domains, and eventually extending into the printed media.

[0017]In another embodiment of the present invention, a system permits the targeting of advertisements in the Internet and video platforms, e.g., Switched Digital Video (SDV) and cable-based systems. In a SDV platform, the present invention allows for resolution of the advertising at the level of the home and even at the level of the individual user / subscriber. The system of the present invention may also be utilized for the delivery of advertisements over cable networks by selecting advertisements at the head end or substituting advertisements in the set-top box.

[0018]The general principles of the present invention are not constrained to video networks and may be generally applied to a variety of media systems including printed media, radio broadcasting, and store coupons. The system provides the overall capability to match advertisements using consumer profiles that do not contain the raw transaction information, thus subscriber privacy is maintained.

Problems solved by technology

Even with linked sponsorship, advertising, and in particular broadcast television advertising, is mostly ineffective.

In addition to this fact, many advertisements are not even seen / heard by the subscriber who may mute the sound, change channels, or simply leave the room during a commercial break.

The reasons for such ineffectiveness are due to the fact that the displayed advertisements are not targeted to the subscribers' needs, likes or preferences.

Even though cookies and other profiling means assist in targeting advertising, they have recently come under fire as these means are known to invade the privacy of the subscribers without their authorization.

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