A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be “near” the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located “near” the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising using a programmed hardware computer system to select a television advertisement to be directed to a set-top box, which television advertisement is selected based at least in part on profile information pertaining to a user or an online activity, wherein: (a) the profile information pertaining to the user or to the online activity derives from a user using a secondary online device having an association with the set-top box, (b) the association between the secondary online device and the set-top box is indicated by stored electronic indicia of a proxy location of the set-top box, (c) the proxy location of the set-top box is a location of a primary online device at a time when the primary online device has been estimated to have been at a geographic location shared with the set-top box, (d) in making the association, the computer system uses stored electronic indicia indicating that the secondary online device is estimated to have been at least transiently located at the proxy location of the set-top box, and (e)wherein at least one of the following conditions applies: (i) the set-top box is not connected to any computer network; (ii) the set-top box is not connected to any local area network to which the primary online device or the secondary online device are connected; or (iii) a television service used by the set-top box, and online access used by the primary online device and the secondary online device, are provided by different service providers.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, using the computer system, identifying as the primary online device an online device estimated to be at a location shared by the set-top box, and storing the electronic indicia of the proxy location of the set-top box.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, using the computer system, identifying one or more secondary online devices that are each estimated to have been at least transiently located at the proxy location of the set-top box and storing electronic indicia of a corresponding association between the set-top box and each one of the one or more identified secondary online devices.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising, using the computer system, deleting or disregarding the stored electronic indicia of the corresponding association between the set-top box and one of the one or more identified secondary online devices that has not been estimated to be located, within a specified time period after having been estimated to have been at least transiently located at the proxy location, at the proxy location of the set-top box.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-top box lacks online access.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-top box lacks a wireless connection to the secondary online device.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored electronic indicia of the proxy location of the set-top box comprise data indicating at least a portion of an IP address used to route network traffic to the primary online device at the time when the primary online device is estimated to have been at the location shared with the set-top box.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, using the computer system, causing the selected television advertisement to be directed to the set-top box, for presentation during a time period during which the secondary online device is estimated to be at the proxy location of the set-top box.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein (i) the proxy location of the set-top box is indicated by at least a portion of an IP address used to route network traffic to the primary online device at the time when the primary online device is estimated to have been at the location shared with the set-top box, and (ii) the secondary online device is estimated to be at the proxy location based on at least a portion of an IP address, used to route network traffic to the secondary online device, that matches at least a portion of the IP address that indicates the set-top box proxy location.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, using the computer system, causing the selected television advertisement to be directed to the set-top box, for presentation during a selected time period, based on an observed correlation between (i) a specific television program or channel being presented via the set-top box during the selected time period and (ii) at least a portion of the profile information.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, using the computer system, causing the selected television advertisement to be directed to the set-top box, for presentation during a selected time period, based on an observed correlation between (i) the selected time period and (ii) previous specific time periods during which the secondary online device was estimated to have been at the proxy location of the set-top box.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-top box is not connected to any local area network to which the primary online device or the secondary online device are connected.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein a television service used by the set-top box, and online access used by the primary online device and the secondary online device, are provided by different service providers.
14. An apparatus comprising a computer system programmed and connected to select a television advertisement to be directed to a set-top box, which television advertisement is selected based at least in part on profile information pertaining to a user or an online activity, wherein: (a) the profile information pertaining to the user or to the online activity derives from a user using a secondary online device having an association with the set-top box, (b) the association between the secondary online device and the set-top box is indicated by stored electronic indicia of a proxy location of the set-top box, (c) the proxy location of the set-top box is a location of a primary online device at a time when the primary online device has been estimated to have been at a geographic location shared with the set-top box, (d) in making the association, the computer system uses stored electronic indicia indicating that the secondary online device is estimated to have been at least transiently located at the proxy location of the set-top box, and (e) wherein at least one of the following conditions applies: (i) the set-top box is not connected to any computer network; (ii) the set-top box is not connected to any local area network to which the primary online device or the secondary online device are connected; or (iii) a television service used by the set-top box, and online access used by the primary online device and the secondary online device, are provided by different service providers.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the computer system is further programmed to identify as the primary online device an online device estimated to be at a location shared by the set-top box, and to store the electronic indicia of the proxy location of the set-top box.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the computer system is further programmed to identify one or more secondary online devices that are each estimated to have been at least transiently located at the proxy location of the set-top box and to store electronic indicia of a corresponding association between the set-top box and each one of the one or more identified secondary online devices.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the computer system is further programmed to delete or disregard the stored electronic indicia of the corresponding association between the set-top box and one of the one or more identified secondary online devices that has not been estimated to be located, within a specified time period after having been estimated to have been at least transiently located at the proxy location, at the proxy location of the set-top box.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the set-top box lacks online access.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the set-top box lacks a wireless connection to the secondary online device.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the stored electronic indicia of the proxy location of the set-top box comprise data indicating at least a portion of an IP address used to route network traffic to the primary online device at the time when the primary online device is estimated to have been at the location shared with the set-top box.
21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the computer system is further programmed to cause the selected television advertisement to be directed to the set-top box, for presentation during a time period during which the secondary online device is estimated to be at the proxy location of the set-top box.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein (i) the proxy location of the set-top box is indicated by at least a portion of an IP address used to route network traffic to the primary online device at the time when the primary online device is estimated to have been at the location shared with the set-top box, and (ii) the secondary online device is estimated to be at the proxy location based on at least a portion of an IP address, used to route network traffic to the secondary online device, that matches at least a portion of the IP address that indicates the set-top box proxy location.
23. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the computer system is further programmed to cause the selected television advertisement to be directed to the set-top box, for presentation during a selected time period, based on an observed correlation between (i) a specific television program or channel being presented via the set-top box during the selected time period and (ii) at least a portion of the profile information.
24. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the computer system is further programmed to cause the selected television advertisement to be directed to the set-top box, for presentation during a selected time period, based on an observed correlation between (i) the selected time period and (ii) previous specific time periods during which the secondary online device was estimated to have been at the proxy location of the set-top box.
25. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the set-top box is not connected to any local area network to which the primary online device or the secondary online device are connected.
26. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein a television service used by the set-top box, and online access used by the primary online device and the secondary online device, are provided by different service providers.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 2, 2015
February 23, 2016
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