Methods and systems for presenting online content elements based on information caused to be stored on a communication apparatus by a service provider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9600518-B2
Application number	US-22450607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2007
Priority date	Jun 4, 2007
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems for presenting online content elements based on information caused to be stored on a communication apparatus by a service provider. One of the methods is a method for presenting online content at a communication apparatus. The method comprises: obtaining information caused to be stored on the communication apparatus by a service provider providing network access to the communication apparatus, the information pertaining to a profile maintained by the service provider; 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. The online content element may be an advertising content element forming an online advertisement, a primary content element of a network site, or an online page. The information may include location information, personal information, and/or bandwidth information. Servers for implementing the methods are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for presenting online content at a communication apparatus, said method comprising, in order:
at a service provider providing network access to the communication apparatus:
obtaining profile information from a profile database maintained by the service provider providing network access to the communication apparatus;
transmitting the profile information to the communication apparatus;

at the communication apparatus:
storing the profile information on the communication apparatus as a cookie;
communicating the profile information contained in the cookie to an ad server;

at the ad server:
receiving the profile information communicated by the communication apparatus;
determining an online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the received profile information; and

causing the communication apparatus to present the online content element.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said receiving comprises:
sending first data to the communication apparatus, the first data requesting the profile information; and
receiving second data communicated by the communication apparatus, the second data conveying the profile information.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving the profile information communicated by the communication apparatus without having sent data requesting the profile information to the communication apparatus.

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

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the online content element is a primary content element of a network site.

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

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the profile information includes location information regarding the communication apparatus.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the location information includes a service point location of the communication apparatus.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the location information includes a location object formatted as a Presence Information Data Format Location Object (PIDF-LO) or equivalent.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the location information specifies a set of geo-coordinates.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the profile information includes personal information regarding a party.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the personal information comprises at least one of: a name, a gender, a date of birth or an age, a nationality, a correspondence language, a civic address, a phone number, an email address, an instant messaging identifier, and financial information.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the profile information includes bandwidth information regarding a bandwidth available to the communication apparatus.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said determining comprises determining a size of the online content element to be presented based on the bandwidth information.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said receiving comprises:
receiving encrypted data from the communication apparatus; and
decrypting the encrypted data using a key provided by the service provider to obtain the profile information.

16. An ad server for causing presentation of online content at a communication apparatus, said ad server comprising:
an interface for receiving and sending data; and
a processing unit coupled to said interface, the processing unit comprising a processor coupled to a memory and operative for:
receiving profile information communicated by the communication apparatus, the profile information having been previously transmitted to the communication apparatus from a network component of a service provider providing network access to the communication apparatus, the profile information having been obtained from a profile database maintained by the service provider;
causing the communication apparatus to present an online content element determined based on the information.

17. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said receiving comprises:
sending first data to the communication apparatus, the first data requesting the profile information; and
receiving second data communicated by the communication apparatus, the second data conveying the profile information.

18. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving the profile information communicated by the communication apparatus without having sent data requesting the profile information to the communication apparatus.

19. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the online content element is an advertising content element forming an online advertisement.

20. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the online content element is a primary content element of a network site.

21. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the online content element is an online page.

22. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the profile information includes location information regarding the communication apparatus.

23. An ad server as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the location information includes a service point location of the communication apparatus.

24. An ad server as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the location information includes a location object formatted as a PIDF-LO or equivalent.

25. An ad server as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the location information specifies a set of geo-coordinates.

26. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the profile information includes personal information regarding a party.

27. An ad server as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the personal information comprises at least one of: a name, a gender, a date of birth or an age, a nationality, a correspondence language, a civic address, a phone number, an email address, an instant messaging identifier, and financial information.

28. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the profile information includes bandwidth information regarding a bandwidth available to the communication apparatus.

29. An ad server as claimed in claim 28 , wherein said determining comprises determining a size of the online content element to be presented based on the bandwidth information.

30. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said processing unit is operative for determining the online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the profile information.

31. An ad server as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said receiving comprises:
receiving encrypted data from the communication apparatus; and
decrypting the encrypted data using a key provided by the service provider to obtain the profile information.

32. A computer-readable memory storing a program component for execution by a computer system to cause presentation of online content at a communication apparatus, said program component comprising:
first program code for causing the computer system to receive profile information from the communication apparatus, the profile information having been previously transmitted to the communication apparatus from a network component of a service provider providing network access

Assignees

• Murray Sean Maclean
• Fortier Stéphane Maxime François
• Bouchard Jean
• Bce Inc

Inventors

• Murray Sean Maclean
• Fortier Stéphane Maxime François
• Bouchard Jean

Classifications

• G06F16/24

  Querying · CPC title

• H04L63/0892

  by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols · CPC title

• G06Q20/40

  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 title

• G06Q40/00

  Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes · CPC title

• G06Q30/0254

  based on statistics · CPC title