Targeting of advertisements based on mutual information sharing between devices over a network

Abstract

A system and method to facilitate targeting of advertisements based on mutual information sharing between devices over a network are described. A user connects to one or more media devices and performs specific actions, such as viewing content. The actions are then transmitted to the entity via the network and are stored within the entity along with respective categories associated with each user action. Subsequently, if the user connects to the entity through a client machine and through the network, the entity selects advertisements to be displayed within the display area of the client machine along with content information requested by the user, such that each selected advertisement is related to the previously stored events or actions performed on the media device and their respective categories.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving over a network, from a media device for a user, an identification of content displayed on the media device for viewing by the user;   selecting at least one advertisement for the user based on the content displayed on the media device; and   delivering the advertisement selected over a network to a client machine of the user, separate from the media device of the user, for display of the advertisement on the client machine in connection with display of at least one Web page.   
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the media device comprises a network-enabled television set. 
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the media device comprises a digital video recorder. 
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, over a network, user identification information from the media device.   
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the user identification information comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the media device. 
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user profile associated with the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the user profile comprises at least one of:
 user demographic data;   geographic data, identifying one or more locations for the user; and   behavioral data acquired from a behavioral targeting system.   
     
     
         8 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 analyzing the identification of content displayed on the media device;   determining at least one predetermined classification category associated with the content; and   storing the at least one predetermined classification category.   
     
     
         9 . The method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein delivering the advertisement comprises:
 receiving user identification information over the network from the client machine;   retrieving the predetermined classification categories stored based on the user identification information; and   selecting the at least one advertisement for the user based on the advertisements associated with the predetermined classification categories.   
     
     
         10 . A computer readable medium containing executable instructions, which, when executed in a processing system, cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:
 receiving over a network, from a media device for a user, an identification of content displayed on the media device for viewing by the user;   selecting at least one advertisement for the user based on the content displayed on the media device; and   delivering the advertisement selected over a network to a client machine of the user, separate from the media device of the user, for display of the advertisement on the client machine in connection with display of at least one Web page.   
     
     
         11 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the media device comprises a network-enabled television set. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the media device comprises a digital video recorder. 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving, over a network, user identification information from the media device.   
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the user identification information comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the media device. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 10 , further comprising receiving a user profile associated with the user. 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the user profile comprises at least one of:
 user demographic data;   geographic data, identifying one or more locations for the user; and   behavioral data acquired from a behavioral targeting system.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 analyzing the identification of content displayed on the media device;   determining at least one predetermined classification category associated with the content; and   storing the at least one predetermined classification category.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein delivering the advertisement comprises:
 receiving user identification information over the network from the client machine;   retrieving the predetermined classification categories stored based on the user identification information; and   selecting the at least one advertisement for the user based on the advertisements associated with the predetermined classification categories.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 processing servers to receive, over a network, from a media device for a user, an identification of content displayed on the media device for viewing by the user; and   advertising servers, coupled to said processing servers, to select at least one advertisement for the user based on the content displayed on the media device and to deliver the advertisement selected over a network to a client machine of the user, separate from the media device of the user, for display of the advertisement on the client machine in connection with display of at least one Web page.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein:
 the processing servers further to analyze the identification of content displayed on the media device, to determine at least one predetermined classification category associated with the content, and to store the at least one predetermined classification category; and   the advertising servers further to receive user identification information over the network from the client machine, to retrieve the predetermined classification categories stored based on the user identification information, and to select the at least one advertisement for the user based on the advertisements associated with the predetermined classification categories