MAC Address Detection for Personalized Content Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current content distribution systems struggle to effectively target advertising to specific viewers in retail environments by uniquely identifying individuals near display devices, as existing methods lack efficient means to determine user identity and location for personalized content delivery.
Innovation Solution
The method employs the Media Access Control (MAC) address of mobile devices to identify users within a content distribution environment, linking this information with demographic data to deliver targeted advertising based on the user's location, using a system that includes a server, set-top boxes, and wireless access points to detect and react to the presence of mobile devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If MAC address detection is implemented to identify mobile devices, then user identification capability is improved, but system complexity increases due to integration of wireless access points and database systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the identification task into separate functional modules: wireless access points for MAC address detection, servers for database management and demographic data storage, and set-top boxes for content delivery. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in one aspect, improving overall identification precision while managing complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a database as an intermediary layer between MAC address detection and content delivery. The database stores the mapping between MAC addresses and demographic information, acting as a mediator that decouples the detection system from the content delivery system, thereby managing complexity while maintaining identification accuracy.
2Productivity
If demographic data is collected and stored for targeted advertising, then advertising effectiveness is improved, but information privacy concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by collecting and storing demographic information specifically for identified mobile devices in the retail environment, rather than universally collecting data from all users. This targeted approach improves advertising effectiveness for relevant users while minimizing unnecessary data collection, thereby addressing privacy concerns by limiting data gathering to only those cases where identification is achieved.
3Adaptability or versatility
If real-time MAC address detection and content adjustment is implemented, then content delivery relevance is improved, but processing time and system response requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-collecting and storing demographic data associated with MAC addresses in the database before actual content delivery occurs. When a mobile device is detected, the system simply retrieves pre-prepared demographic information and delivers corresponding pre-selected content, rather than processing and analyzing data in real-time. This approach maintains high content relevance while significantly reducing processing time during the actual content delivery moment.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and system for using a media access control (MAC) address of a mobile device for communication in a content distribution environment includes detecting the MAC address of a mobile device when in or within a predetermined range of the content distribution environment. Once the MAC address has been detected, registered user information of the mobile device is obtained via one or more databases and personalized media content is then delivered to one or more display devices in close proximity to the mobile device within the content distribution environment. In alternative embodiments, a user's presence within the content distribution environment is automatic and transparent to the mobile device user.