Grouping users based on user profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9858601-B2
Application number	US-201414198485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure includes a system and method for grouping users into one or more categories for delivering targeted advertisements. A media application receives a captured image from a user, identifies an indexed image matching the captured image, retrieves metadata describing the captured image responsive to identifying the indexed image, generates a user profile for the user based on the metadata describing the captured image and a history of at least one previously captured image associated with the user, identifies a product in the captured image based on the metadata describing the captured image, provides the user with information about the product, updates the user profile based on how the user interacts with the product, and categorizes the user into one or more groups based on the user profile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, with one or more processors of a server, an image captured by a user device of a user;
identifying, with the one or more processors of the server, an indexed image matching a first product depicted in the captured image;
retrieving, with the one or more processors of the server, metadata to associate with the captured image responsive to the indexed image matching the first product depicted in the captured image;
identifying, with the one or more processors of the server, a first product category of the first product in the captured image based on the associated metadata of the captured image;
retrieving, with the one or more processors of the server, information about the first product;
generating, with the one or more processors of the server, a hotspot that links the information about the first product to a selectable portion in the captured image, wherein the selectable portion is visually indicated by a bounded region including a textual description identifying the hotspot and is embedded at a location of the first product in the captured image;
providing, with the one or more processors of the server, the captured image with the hotspot for display on a user interface of the user device, the hotspot providing access to the information about the first product;
determining, with the one or more processors of the server, a selection time between receiving the captured image from the user and the user selecting, on the user interface of the user device, the hotspot linking the first product in the captured image to the information about the first product;
determining, with the one or more processors of the server, an action time between the user selecting the hotspot linking the first product in the captured image and the user performing a subsequent action with respect to the first product;
retrieving, with the one or more processors of the server, a user profile for the user, the user profile being generated based on a history of one or more previously captured images received from the user;
determining, with the one or more processors of the server, a product interaction history in the user profile, the product interaction history including a corresponding selection time between receiving the one or more previously captured images from the user and the user selecting the hotspot linking one or more previously identified products of the first product category in the one or more previously captured images, and a corresponding action time between the user selecting the hotspot linking the one or more previously identified products in the one or more previously captured images and the user performing the subsequent action with respect to the one or more previously identified products;
determining, with the one or more processors of the server, a pattern in the selection time and the action time corresponding to an interaction of the user with the first product and the one or more previously identified products of the first product category;
inferring, with the one or more processors of the server, an interest of the user in the first product category based on the pattern;
updating, with the one or more processors of the server, the user profile based on the interest of the user in the first product category; and
categorizing, with the one or more processors of the server, the user into one or more groups based on the updated user profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata retrieved to associate with the captured image includes a time and location associated with the captured image, a genre of the captured image, a type of advertising medium associated with the captured image, a name of advertising medium associated with the captured image, and a name of the first product in the captured image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user profile for the user includes age, gender, location, timestamps of previously captured images, metadata of previously captured images, history of products previously interacted with by the user, history of products previously purchased by the user and time spent by the user shopping for products.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user profile for the user is generated at a time of initial user registration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hotspot embedded on the first product in the captured image links the first product to a website for the first product.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein categorizing the user into one or more groups based on the updated user profile further comprises categorizing by a time of engagement with an advertising medium.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein categorizing the user into one or more groups based on the updated user profile further comprises categorizing by a rate of product adoption.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein categorizing the user into one or more groups based on the updated user profile further comprises categorizing by a shopping pattern and the user's interest in products.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein categorizing the user into one or more groups based on the updated user profile further comprises categorizing by a preference of a medium.

10. A system comprising:
a server having one or more processors;
a matching engine stored on a memory and executable by the one or more processors of the server, the matching engine for receiving an image captured by a user device of a user, identifying an indexed image matching a first product depicted in the captured image and retrieving metadata to associate with the captured image responsive to the indexed image matching the first product depicted in the captured image;
an advertisement engine stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors of the server, the advertisement engine coupled to the matching engine for identifying a first product category of the first product in the captured image based on the associated metadata of the captured image, retrieving information about the first product, generating a hotspot that links the information about the first product to a selectable portion in the captured image, wherein the selectable portion is visually indicated by a bounded region including a textual description identifying the hotspot and is embedded at a location of the first product in the captured image and providing the captured image with the hotspot for display on a user interface of the user device, the hotspot providing access to the information about the first product;
a user profile engine stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors of the server, the user profile engine coupled to the matching engine and the advertisement engine for retrieving a user profile for the user, the user profile being generated based on a history of one or more previously captured images received from the user, determining a selection time between receiving the captured image from the user and the user selecting, on the user interface of the user device, the hotspot linking the first product in the captured image to the information about the first product, determining an action time between the user selecting the hotspot linking the first product in the captured image and the user performing a subsequent action with respect to the first product, determining a product interaction history in the user profile, the product interaction history including a corresponding selection time between receiving the one or more previously captured images from the user and the user selecting the hotspot linking one or more previously identified products of the first product category in the one or more previously captured images, and a corresponding action time between th

Assignees

• Chand Ashootosh
• Shekar Bharathi
• Suchanti Ankit
• Kotak Yash
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chand Ashootosh
• Shekar Bharathi
• Suchanti Ankit
• Kotak Yash

Classifications

• G06F16/735

  Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles · CPC title

• G06F16/7335

  Graphical querying, e.g. query-by-region, query-by-sketch, query-by-trajectory, GUIs for designating a person/face/object as a query predicate (end-user interface involving hot spots associated with the video H04N21/4725; end-user interface for selecting a Region of Interest H04N21/4728) · CPC title

• G06F16/435

  Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles · CPC title

• G06Q30/0623

  by investigating goods or services · CPC title

• G06Q30/0251

  Targeted advertisements · CPC title