Methods of using proxy IP addresses and redirection for cross-device actions

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A programmed hardware computer system used by a television provider (TVP) and connected to perform a method comprising: (a) automatically storing electronic indicia of an association between a first identifiable online device (OD1) and a set-top box (STB) of a subscriber of the TVP by matching (i) first personally identifiable information (PII) received by the TVP as a result of a redirection of the OD1 with (ii) stored second personally identifiable information about the subscriber; and (b) automatically causing a cross-device action to be taken as between a second identifiable online device (OD2) and the STB of the subscriber, based on determining an association between the OD2 and the STB, which association is determined using both (i) the stored electronic indicia of the association between the OD1 and the STB, and (ii) detection by the computer system of an association between the OD2 and the OD1 based on use by the OD1 of a common proxy IP address during a predetermined time of day and based on use by the OD2 of the common proxy IP address, wherein the common proxy IP address is an IP address through which network traffic of the OD1 and the OD2 was routed, wherein the computer system is outside a local area network (LAN) defined by the common proxy IP address.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the cross-device action is causing display of a selected advertisement via the STB based on behavioral profile information derived from the OD2.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the computer system is further programmed to automatically select the advertisement to be displayed via the STB based on behavioral profile information derived from the OD2.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the cross-device action is automatically measuring effectiveness of an advertisement displayed via the STB by tracking behavior performed on the OD2.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the cross-device action takes place when the OD1 is not connected to the LAN.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the common proxy IP address is a dynamically assigned IP address.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the computer system is further programmed to undo the association between the OD2 and the STB based on lack of use of the common proxy IP address by the OD2 for a predetermined period of time.

8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time of day comprises a specified night-time time period.

9. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the computer system is programmed to detect an association between the OD2 and the OD1 further based on a day of the week during which the computer system detects use by the OD1 of the common proxy IP address.

10. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the computer system is programmed to detect an association between the OD2 and the OD1 based on the use by the OD2 of the common proxy IP address, as recorded in an electronic record.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the computer system is programmed to detect an association between the OD2 and the OD1 based on the use by the OD2 of the common proxy IP address, as recorded in the electronic record, before the use by the OD1 of the common proxy IP address during the predetermined time of day.

12. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the computer system is further programmed to use the electronic record to automatically cause the cross-device action to be taken at a time of day at which the OD2 is predicted to be near the STB.

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the computer system further uses the electronic record to automatically cause the cross-device action to be taken on a day of the week at which the OD2 is predicted to be near the STB.

14. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the PII comprises an email address.

15. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the PII comprises a user name.

16. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the redirection of the OD1 occurs as a result of a user of the OD1 opening an email authorized by the TVP.

17. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the redirection of the OD1 occurs as a result of a user of the OD1 logging into a website of a third party.

18. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the OD1 is redirected directly to the computer system of the TVP.

19. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the OD1 is redirected indirectly to the computer system of the TVP.

20. The computer system of claim 1 wherein: (a) the cross-device action is causing display of a selected advertisement via the STB based on behavioral profile information derived from the OD2; (b) the cross-device action takes place when the OD1 is not connected to the LAN; (c) the common proxy IP address is a dynamically assigned IP address; (d) the PII comprises an email address; and (e) the redirection of the OD1 occurs as a result of a user of the OD1 logging into a website of a third party.

21. An article comprising a tangible medium that is not a transitory propagating signal encoding computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by a television provider (TVP) using a programmed hardware computer system, instruct the computer system to perform a method comprising: (a) with the computer system automatically storing electronic indicia of an association between a first identifiable online device (OD1) and a set-top box (STB) of a subscriber of the TVP by matching (i) first personally identifiable information (PII) received by the TVP as a result of a redirection of the OD1 with (ii) stored second personally identifiable information about the subscriber; and (b) with the computer system automatically causing a cross-device action to be taken as between a second identifiable online device (OD2) and the STB of the subscriber, based on determining an association between the OD2 and the STB, which association is determined using both (i) the stored electronic indicia of the association between the OD1 and the STB, and (ii) detection by the computer system of an association between the OD2 and the OD1 based on use by the OD1 of a common proxy IP address during a predetermined time of day and based on use by the OD2 of the common proxy IP address, wherein the common proxy IP address is an IP address through which network traffic of the OD1 and the OD2 was routed, wherein the computer system is outside a local area network (LAN) defined by the common proxy IP address.

22. The article of claim 21 wherein the cross-device action is causing display of a selected advertisement via the STB based on behavioral profile information derived from the OD2.

23. The article of claim 22 wherein the computer system is further programmed to automatically select the advertisement to be displayed via the STB based on behavioral profile information derived from the OD2.

24. The article of claim 21 wherein the cross-device action is with the computer system automatically measuring effectiveness of an advertisement displayed via the STB by tracking behavior performed on OD2.

25. The article of claim 21 wherein the cross-device action takes place when the OD1 is not connected to the LAN.

26. The article of claim 21 wherein the common proxy IP address is a dynamically assigned IP address.

27. The article of claim 26 wherein the computer system is further programmed to undo the association between the OD2 and the STB based on lack of use of the common proxy IP address by the OD2 for a predetermined period of time.

28. The article of claim 21 wherein the predetermined time of day comprises a specified night-time time period.

29. The article of claim 21 wherein the computer system is programmed to detect an association between the OD2 and the OD1 further based on a day of the week during which the computer system detects use by the OD1 of the common proxy IP address.

30. The article of claim 21 wherein the computer system is programmed to detect an association between the OD2 and the OD1 is based on the use by the OD2 of the common proxy IP address, as recorded in an electronic record.

31. The article of claim 30 wherein detection by the computer system of an association between the OD2 and the OD1 is based on the use by the OD2 of the common proxy IP address, as recorded in the electronic record, before the use by the OD1 of the common proxy IP address during the predetermined time of day.

32. The article of claim 30 wherein the computer system is programmed to use the electronic record to automatically cause the cross-device action to be taken at a time of day at which the OD2 is predicted to be near the STB.

33. The article of claim 32 wherein the computer system further uses the electronic record to automatically cause the cross-device action to be taken on a day of the week at which the OD2 is predicted to be near the STB.

34. The article of claim 21 wherein the PII comprises an email address.

35. The article of claim 21 wherein the PII comprises a user name.

36. The article of claim 21 wherein the redirection of the OD1 occurs as a result of a user of the OD1 opening an email authorized by the TVP.

37. The article of claim 21 wherein the redirection of the OD1 occurs as a result of a user of the OD1 logging into a website of a third party.

38. The article of claim 21 wherein the OD1 is redirected directly to the computer system of the TVP.

39. The article of claim 21 wherein the OD1 is redirected indirectly to the computer system of the TVP.

40. The article of claim 21 wherein: (a) the cross-device action is causing display of a selected advertisement via the STB based on behavioral profile information derived from the OD2; (b) the cross-device action takes place when the OD1 is not connected to the LAN; (c) the common proxy IP address is a dynamically assigned IP address; (d) the PII comprises an email address; and (e) the redirection of the OD1 occurs as a result of a user of the OD1 logging into a website of a third party.

Description

DESCRIPTION

(1) A method is performed by a profile provider (PP) entity using a computer system connected to the Internet and comprising one or more servers, and can be summarized as follows. First, a primary online device (OD1) is associated (in any suitable way) with a set-top box (STB). Second, a location of OD1 at some point in time (e.g., before, contemporaneous with, or after establishing the association with the STB) is estimated to be “near” the STB. The OD1 location at the time it is estimated to be “near” the STB is used as a proxy for the STB location in later steps. Third, one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located “near” the STB proxy location (i.e., the location of OD1 when it was estimated to be “near” the STB) and as a result are associated with the STB. Fourth, the system causes selection of a television advertisement to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. In the following sections, each of those activities will be described in further detail, including variations and alternatives. The disclosed methods can be employed with any suitable STB having any suitable connections; however, the disclosed methods 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.

(2) Associating a Primary Online Device (OD1) with a Set-Top Box (STB)

(3) A primary online device (OD1) is directly associated (in any suitable way) with a set-top box (STB). “Directly” merely indicates that the association between the STB and OD1 can be established explicitly. Various suitable ways for establishing or recognizing such an explicit association are disclosed in the patents and pending applications cited above. In some of those examples, a TVP/ISP can provide both online access and television service to a given subscriber, typically at a known, single location (e.g., a residence or business). An online device provided with online access (by the TVP/ISP) at that service location can be associated with the STB as OD1. In other examples, a subscriber's OD1 and STB can be associated based on both being connected to a common LAN (Local Area Network). That common connection can be detected in a variety of ways, e.g., by detecting that Internet traffic is routed to both OD1 and the STB via a common IP address or portion thereof, or by detecting that both OD1 and the STB are connected to the same router.

(4) In other examples not disclosed in the cited patents or applications, a TVP can send an email to a subscriber that includes electronic indicia that identify the subscriber or the subscriber's STB; such identification can employ a pseudonym representing any of the data. The indicia could be incorporated, for example, as a 1×1 pixel redirect in an HTML email, or in any other suitable manner. When the subscriber opens the TVP email, the online device used to open the email is redirected to a TVP server or TVP computer system along with the STB identifier or a subscriber identifier (or pseudonym). Instead or in addition, the TVP server or computer system can gain access to a subscriber's online device and to his or her log-in data when the subscriber logs in to a TVP web site or application (e.g., a software application that enables a mobile device or tablet to act as a remote control for the STB), or when the subscriber logs in to a third-party web site or application that directs or redirects the online device to the TVP server along with the subscriber's PII. The online device used by the subscriber to open the e-mail or log-in (referred to hereafter as the initiating online device) may or may not be associated as OD1 with the subscriber's STB, as further described below. The TVP server or computer system access to the initiating online device following the redirect or log-in enables the TVP system to associate the initiating online device with the STB, if it chooses to do so, using the PII provided by the initiating online device to pull the subscriber's STB identifier or by using the STB identifier pseudonym provided by the initiating online device. The TVP system can associate an online device identifier of the initiating online device with the subscriber's STB identifier or STB pseudonym.

(5) In another example, a TVP presents a personalized barcode on the TV screen. The barcode is personalized in that it encodes instructions to redirect a mobile device with a camera that takes a picture of the barcode on the TV screen to an online server along with indicia identifying the subscriber's STB. The mobile device can be redirected to a PP server, or to a TVP or other server that in turn redirects to the PP server (directly or via one or more intermediary servers). The PP can then associate the STB identifier or pseudonym with an identifier of the mobile device. Additional information pertaining to the subscriber or the STB can be encoded into the personalized barcode, e.g., the geographic location of the STB. In one example a barcode, such as a two-dimensional QR (“quick response”) code, is presented on a television screen, and a user is asked to photograph the barcode with his or her smartphone (for example to visit a television program web site). Barcode reader software on the smartphone decodes the barcode, which encodes a uniform resource locator (URL) usable by the smartphone's browser software. That URL indicates an online site and also includes an identifier or pseudonym for the television subscriber's STB. When the smartphone visits the online site indicated by the encoded URL, the online site server can retrieve the STB identifier or pseudonym and include it in a redirect to a PP server. The PP places, modifies, or recognizes its own cookie or other identifier on the user's smartphone to include or reference the user's STB identifier or pseudonym, thereby establishing an electronic association between the smartphone (the initiating online device) and the STB. In this example, different personalized barcodes can be sent to different television service subscribers identifying their respective STBs.

(6) To function as primary online device OD1, an initiating online device must be (i) a stationary online device (e.g., a desktop computer or workstation) that resides at the STB location, or (ii) a mobile online device (e.g., a laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone) that is at least transiently located at the STB location. Determining whether a given initiating online device can properly function as a primary online device OD1 is described below. The TVP typically knows the location of the subscriber's STB and can employ or provide all or part of that information to perform or facilitate subsequent steps.

(7) In the latter examples disclosed above (e.g., wherein a TVP email, a TVP site or application login, or a barcode is employed), the TVP typically conveys to a profile-provider entity (PP), or causes to be conveyed to the PP, information pertaining to the initiating online device and the subscriber's STB. Examples of such PP entities are given above. In some of the examples disclosed above, the initiating online device is redirected to a PP server or computer system (directly or via one or more intermediary servers), e.g., from a server hosting the TVP site or communicating with a software application, following a URL redirect from the TVP email to a TVP server or other server that in turn redirects to a PP server, or following a barcode-initiated visit to a TVP server or other server that in turn redirects to a PP server. Such URL redirection typically includes a URL address (or other data-passing technique) that passes electronic indicia of the subscriber's STB identifier or pseudonym, and optionally additional information pertaining to the subscriber.

(8) Alternatively, in the email or barcode examples, the initiating online device can be directed or redirected (directly or via one or more intermediary servers) to a PP server or computer system without also making contact with a TVP server or computer system, e.g., if the email redirect or barcode includes instructions for the online device to make contact with the PP server and to convey indicia of the subscriber's STB identifier to that PP server. In that sort of example, after the TVP transmits to the subscriber the email or barcode, subsequent association of the subscriber's STB identifier or pseudonym with an identifier of the initiating online device can be established without further involvement of the TVP. As a result of any of the different redirections described above, the PP server can place, modify, or recognize a cookie on the initiating online device; that cookie can act as an online device identifier. The PP can store the received information, including indicia of the STB identifier or pseudonym, within the cookie or in a central database using the cookie as a record locator.

(9) In addition or instead, the TVP can place, modify, or recognize its own cookie on the initiating online device and maintain a log or database of cookies or other initiating online device identifiers (such as an online device fingerprint) and associated STB identifiers for a multitude of subscribers. Such a log or database can be transmitted directly to a PP periodically, intermittently, or on an ongoing basis. The PP can use the received log to update its own database or in any other suitable fashion. In one example, the PP uses received device fingerprints (i) to recognize an initiating online device if and when it later encounters that online device or (ii) to retrieve location or profile information previously collected for a given online device. In another example, the PP and TVP use cookie syncing to sync their cookies; when the PP receives a TVP log file it can use the TVP cookie IDs to find the associated PP cookies IDs and associate the STB indicia with the relevant PP cookie ID in the PP database and perhaps also store the STB indicia in the PP cookie. In one example of cookie syncing, a TVP redirects subscribers' online devices to a PP server along with the corresponding TVP cookie identifiers. The PP server associates the TVP cookie identifiers with the corresponding PP cookie identifiers. The TVP can then provide the PP with a file containing TVP cookie identifiers and associated profile information (such as the STB indicia or geo location); the PP can use the TVP cookie identifiers to determine to which PP cookie identifiers to add the received profile information (in a central database or in the cookie, as desired).

(10) However the information is conveyed to the PP, that information enables the PP to associate online profile information pertaining to online activity conducted via the initiating online device with the subscriber's STB identifier, as is conventional.

(11) Estimating that the Initiating or Primary Online Device is “Near” the STB

(12) In the course of online activity conducted via an online device, that online device may occasionally make electronic contact with a PP server. During each such contact, the PP server can estimate the location of that online device and cause that location information to be stored (e.g., in a log, history, or database, or in a cookie on the initiating online device). At the time the PP computer system receives electronic indicia of an initiating online device identifier and the subscriber's STB identifier, a PP server can (i) estimate whether the initiating online device was “near” the subscriber's STB at some time in the past (e.g., if the PP has any past location data for the initiating online device), (ii) estimate whether the initiating online device is currently “near” the subscriber's STB (e.g., if the PP has received the electronic indicia via a redirect of the initiating online device). Alternatively, the PP server can (iii) monitor the initiating online device's location, even if not continuously, and “notice” (estimate) later whether it goes “near” the subscriber's STB (e.g., by checking its location when electronic contact is later made between the initiating online device and the PP's server).

(13) “Near” can be defined in a variety of ways, and the estimate can be made in a variety of ways. The reliability of the estimate (i.e., the probability that an improper association will be established between an OD1 and a subscriber's STB) can vary substantially depending on how “near” is defined and estimated. In the barcode example described above, the smartphone that captures an image of the barcode on the television screen can be assumed to be at the location of the STB when the image is captured, and therefore can be correctly presumed to function as OD1.

(14) In a first example, information conveyed by the TVP to the PP (by example via direct transmission or redirect) indicates the location of the subscriber's STB. Privacy restrictions may limit the precision of such information (e.g., limited to city, zip code, neighborhood, or street); if permitted, complete address or precise geographic coordinates can be provided. Upon encountering the initiating online device, the PP can estimate its location and compare it with the STB location. The PP can estimate the location of the initiating online device by using, for example, reverse IP address lookup (e.g., in a database that includes IP addresses and geographic locations; the precision of such databases can vary from metropolitan area to exact street address, or any intermediate level of precision), device GPS coordinates or coordinate ranges, or relative signal strengths of nearby WiFi transmitters or cell towers detected by the device. Depending on the precision of the available location data (typically, but not always, more precise for the online device location than for the STB location), a suitable criterion (using one or a set of several factors) can be established for estimating whether the initiating online device and the subscriber's STB are “near” one another. The criterion can be selected to result in a desired level of confidence that the association between OD1 and the subscriber's STB has been accurately established. If the criterion is satisfied and the initiating online device is regarded as the primary online device OD1, then its location when it is “near” the subscriber's STB can be used as the proxy STB location in subsequent operations.

(15) In another example, an online device and STB can be automatically estimated to be “near” each other without checking any location or distance criterion or threshold. For example, if a software application on the initiating online device is used to control the STB, then the initiating online device can be automatically assumed to be “near” the STB without checking any location or distance criterion. In another example, if the initiating online device is used to open an email from a TVP late at night, and if the associated STB is known to be a residential STB (e.g., because the TVP provides to the PP information pertaining to only residential STBs), it might be automatically assumed, without any location information for the STB or online device, that the initiating online device is “near” the STB (based on the presumption that late at night the subscriber is at his or her residence). In another example, if the STB is known to be residential (e.g., because the TVP provides to the PP information pertaining to only residential STBs), and if the PP identifies an initiating online device location as a residential location (e.g., because a reverse look-up of the initiating online device IP address from a third-party database identifies the IP address as being a residential IP address), then the PP might automatically assume that the initiating online device is at the STB residential location, without any location information for the STB or online device. In a variation, the PP can confirm the initiating online device location as the subscriber's STB residential location, or cancel its previous identification of the STB residential location, based on how many times it encounters the initiating online device at that location over a certain period of time (e.g., to reduce the likelihood of erroneously associating the subscriber's online device with a friend's residential STB upon detection of the subscriber's online device at the friend's residential IP address).

(16) In another example, in instances where it is known that a STB is located at a residential location (whether or not the actual address of the residence is known) but there is no database identifying whether an IP address is assigned to a business or a residence, an initiating online device might be observed to be used at two different IP addresses, and it might be presumed that one of the IP addresses likely corresponds to the subscriber's workplace and the other to the subscriber's residence. The workplace and residence locations can be distinguished based on the number of online devices connected to a common LAN at those locations. For instance, in an IPv4 architecture, if one of the IP addresses is shared by ten different online devices and the other IP address is shared by only three different online devices, then it is likely that the first IP address is the workplace address and the second IP address is the home address because it is reasonable to presume that there are more online devices at a workplace than at a home. Similarly, in some instances in an IPv6 architecture, if the prefix of one IP address is identical to the prefix of IP addresses of nine other online devices, and if the prefix of the other IP address is identical to the prefix of IP addresses of only two other online devices, then it is likely that the first IP address corresponds to a workplace and the second IP address corresponds to a home. More generally, the number of other online devices connected to a common LAN with a given online device can indicate whether that online device is located at a residence or at a workplace.

(17) In yet another example, if the television subscriber receives both television service and online access service from the same provider (TVP/ISP), the PP can determine the ownership of the IP address used by the initiating online device to determine whether the initiating online device is at the STB location (where the subscriber receives the television service). Such an example assumes the television subscriber receives online access service at home from a provider that is different from the provider of online access to the subscriber at the workplace or at other locations (such as coffee shops or friends' houses); otherwise the subscriber's STB might be erroneously estimated to be located at the workplace. The likelihood of such a mistake can be reduced by also considering the time of day and day of the week when the initiating online device communicates with the PP. If a weekend, regardless of the time of the day, the subscriber is likely at home if the IP address is owned by the subscriber's TVP/ISP. If a weekday (Monday to Friday) and during working hours, then the subscriber is likely at the workplace; if during the work-week and early morning, evening, or late at night, then the subscriber is likely at home. Time of day could be used independently as well (regardless of the ISP identity). If it is late in the evening, the PP might assume with high probability that the initiating online device is at home.

(18) More generally, one exemplary solution for reducing errors in the identification of an initiating online device location as a STB location is to check the number of online user interface devices sharing a common IP address for online access at a given location (i.e., sharing the same LAN). If the number is over ten, for example, then it is more likely that the initiating online device is being used at a workplace or a public location such as a coffee shop or an airport, and it is less likely that it is being used at home (regardless of the time of day). Under such circumstances, that location should not be estimated to be the STB location or used as such in subsequent steps.

(19) In yet another example, the PP can receive the STB geographic location from a third party that has a database of television subscribers and their TVPs. In one alternative, such a third party that has a television subscriber's personally identifiable information (PII) can redirect the subscriber's online device, e.g., after the subscriber logs in to a server of the third party, to a server or computer system controlled by the PP; that redirect can convey the geographic location of the subscriber's STB (with or without PII, as needed or desired). In another alternative the PP can receive the home or business address of an initiating online device from a third-party data provider that can redirect the initiating online device to a PP server along with the home or business address (exact home address if permitted, or less accurate address information such as a zip code if required by privacy policy or regulation). Such a redirect will likely not include PII (other than the address information).

(20) In another example, if the PP learns that the STB is used in a residence (explicitly because informed by the TVP, or implicitly because the TVP only redirects residential subscribers' online devices), the PP can assume that the subscriber's residential address (obtained from a third party) is the location of the subscriber's STB. In another alternative, when a PP server communicates with the initiating online device, it can reverse look-up the device IP address to find its geographic location.

(21) Regardless of the way the PP gains access to the geographic location of the online device and the geographic location of the STB, it can compare their locations. If they match, or are in close enough proximity, then the initiating online device can be estimated to be at the STB location.

(22) In various examples (including some of those described above), information conveyed by the TVP to the PP (for example via direct transmission or redirect) indicates either a residential or commercial location for the subscriber's STB. Over time, an initiating online device that is mobile is observed at differing locations. Whether those locations are commercial or residential might be inferred based on time of day (e.g., daytime locations assumed to be commercial and evening/nighttime/early daytime locations assumed to be residential) or on the type of IP address (e.g., static IP addresses assumed to be commercial and dynamic IP addresses assumed to be residential). The initiating online device is assumed to be properly regarded as a primary online device OD1, and the proxy STB location can be the OD1 location estimated when OD1 is encountered at a time of day or from an IP address that is consistent with the type of subscriber STB location. In various cases (including some of those described above), a TVP may only provide the PP with information about residential STBs. Without receiving from the TVP information about the location or type of location of a specific STB (and perhaps only receiving indicia of the specific STB identifier), the PP can nevertheless in some instances recognize when OD1 is located at a residential location (and hence at the STB location) using the described methods (for example, time of day, or location type).

(23) Note that there can be instances when the initiating online device is never detected “near” the subscriber's STB. That situation can arise, for example, if the initiating online device is a stationary device that resides at a location remote from the subscriber's STB, or if the initiating online device is a mobile device that is never located (or noticed to be located) “near” the subscriber's STB. Typically, an initiating online device that is never “near” the subscriber's STB will not be regarded as a primary online device OD1, its location will not be used as the proxy STB location, and subsequent steps will not be performed based on the location of that initiating online device.

(24) In some instances, however, a so-called “two-step” association can be established based on an initiating online device that is never “near” the subscriber's STB. If a mobile online device is observed to be transiently “near” the initiating online device at various times (or if both of the mobile online device and initiating online device are used to log in to the same web site or application using the same credentials), and observed to be transiently “near” the subscriber's STB at other times, that mobile online device can function as a primary online device OD1, and its location (when observed “near” the STB) can be used as the proxy STB location. An OD1 identified using such a two-step association with a STB may be less desirable than the more direct associations described above, due to a higher probability of error in establishing the association.

(25) Observing Secondary Online Device(s) (OD2s) “Near” the STB Proxy Location

(26) Over time, one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located “near” the STB proxy location (i.e., the location of OD1 at the time it was estimated to be “near” the subscriber's STB). As a result, one or more OD2s are indirectly associated with the subscriber's STB. “Indirectly” merely indicates that the association between the STB and OD2s is established using a STB proxy location that was determined using OD1, as described further below.

(27) This disclosure offers significant advantages over known conventional techniques because, e.g., in cases wherein the subscriber's STB is not connected to a computer network and the TVP does not provide online access to the subscriber, the STB proxy location established by OD1 may be the only way to establish any connection between the OD2s and the subscriber's STB; in known conventional techniques no connection between OD2s and the STB could be made. That is advantageous, as it enables, for example, the delivery of targeted television ads to the STB based on the online profiles of online devices used by other household members (OD2s), in addition to targeted television ads based on the online profile of the household member that uses OD1.

(28) One or more of the online devices (OD1 or OD2s) can be mobile, so that their locations can vary with time. An association between an OD2 and the STB can be established based on OD2 being “near” the STB proxy location at a point in time before the OD1-STB association is established and the STB proxy location is estimated (e.g., looked up in a log, history or database, or recorded in a cookie on OD2), or at a point in time after the OD1-STB association was established and the STB proxy location was estimated (e.g., as a result of subsequent contact with a PP server).

(29) In one example, OD2 being located “near” the STB proxy location can be estimated by OD1 and OD2 sharing a common LAN (at least transiently). In one case of this example, OD1 is estimated to be “near” an associated residential STB (in any of the ways described above), and the IP address (or part of the IP address, such as an IP address prefix) used by OD1 at the time of the estimate is used as a proxy for the STB location. Other online devices (OD2s) for which Internet traffic is routed via an identical or partially identical IP address are estimated to be connected to the same LAN as OD1, to be at the same location (because they are connected to the LAN), and to be at the same location as the STB. The OD2s thus identified are associated with the STB. The estimation that an OD2 is at or near the STB location need not occur while OD1 is at or near the STB location. In another example, GPS coordinates of OD2 can be compared to the OD1 location when OD1 was estimated to be “near” the STB. If the OD2 GPS coordinates are close enough (based on any suitable criteria), then the OD2 is associated with the STB. Again, the estimation that an OD2 is close enough to the STB location need not occur while OD1 is near the STB location.

(30) In some examples, an association between a STB and an online device OD2 can be undone by a PP server under certain circumstances. If the PP recognizes that an OD2, that was associated with the STB due to the sharing of a common LAN with an OD1 associated with the STB, does not again share a common LAN with OD1 for more than a week (or other suitable period of time), then it can be inferred that the STB-OD2 association was not correct (e.g., perhaps OD2 belonged to an infrequent visitor to the STB location).

(31) TV Ad Selection/Presentation Based on OD2 Profile

(32) After an online device OD2 is associated with the STB as one of a set of one or more OD2s, targeted television advertisements can be selected (by or at the direction of the PP) based at least in part on profile information associated with OD2, e.g., (i) online behavioral profile information such as browsing history or search history of a user of OD2, (ii) demographic information associated with a user of OD2, (iii) offline profile information pertaining to a user of OD1 or a user of OD2 and acquired with the assistance of the TVP (described further below), or (iv) offline profile information pertaining to a user of OD2 and acquired according to the teachings of, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,890,609 referenced above. The television advertisements thus selected can be directed to the STB for presentation.

(33) The targeted television advertisements can be selected based on receiving a notification, wherein the notification: (i) includes or references an STB identifier, and (ii) results from and signifies a television ad being presented using the STB that corresponds to the STB identifier.

(34) Although the approach is described herein mostly with respect to selecting an ad for presentation via the OD2, the methods and systems disclosed herein can be used for other actions taken with respect to online activity through the OD2 subsequent to presentation of the television ad, including not only causing a selected online ad to be directed to the OD2 but also causing recording that a select online activity occurred subsequent to presentation of the television ad, which online activity was tracked from the OD2.

(35) The time and manner of the television ad presentation can be determined in a variety of ways. In various disclosed exemplary methods, targeted television advertisements can be selected or presented based on the likelihood of the user of OD2 viewing specific TV programs/channels or watching television at specific times/dates, based on one or both of (i) a correlation between the OD2 user's profile information and specific programs/channels (as described in several of the cited references), or (ii) a presumption that OD2 is near the STB, and by inference that the OD2 user is present and watching television, based on an estimate that OD2 is near the STB at a given time/date (as described above) or based on a location history of OD2 at specific times/dates (as described below).

(36) In some disclosed exemplary methods, targeted television advertisements are selected based on profile information associated with OD1 or one or more OD2s. The advertisements thus selected can be transmitted in advance to the STB for storage (e.g., in a DVR) and presented later, or can be transmitted in real time or “on demand” as needed. The selected ads can be presented within specific TV programs/channels or on specific times/dates, e.g., according to the teachings of U.S. Patent Pub. 2009/0300675, U.S. Patent Pub. 2009/0299843, or App. Ser. No. 61/393,834 referenced above. The television advertisements can be selected/presented based on an expectation that the user of OD2 is likely to be viewing those specific TV programs/channels at those dates/times (independently of whether OD2 is presumed to be “near” the STB at those dates/times).

(37) Based on the profile information associated with OD2 (online or offline profile information), television ads are selected (by or at the direction of the PP) to be directed to the STB associated with OD2 as described above. When selecting ads, additional parameters can be taken into account such as which television program or channel is being watched or likely watched on the STB and the likelihood that the OD2 user is watching that TV program/channel (e.g., based on correlation between the OD2 user's profile information and the TV program/channel, as disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Patent Pub. 2009/0300675, U.S. Patent Pub. 2009/0299843, or App. Ser. No. 61/393,834) referenced above.

(38) In some other exemplary methods, the selected television advertisement is presented only when OD2 is presumed to be “near” the STB. Only at a given point in time when one of the OD2s is presumed (in any suitable way) to be located “near” the STB proxy location does the system trigger presentation of a targeted television advertisement for the STB, which targeted advertisement is selected based on profile information associated with that nearby OD2. In other words, a presumption that OD2 is “near” the STB at a given point in time is used to infer that the user of OD2 is watching television at that time, and that a television advertisement targeted at the user of OD2 should be presented. Whether the OD2 is “near” the STB proxy location can be estimated in any of the various ways described above for establishing the association between OD2 and the STB, or can be inferred based on a history or log of OD2 being “near” the STB in the past (described further below). The television advertisements can be selected and delivered to the STB in any of the ways and at any of the times described above (e.g., selected and delivered to the STB ahead of time, selected or delivered in real time or on demand, or variations of those methods).

(39) Regardless of the manner in which a television ad is selected or a program/channel or time/date is determined for delivering the selected ad, the ad can be delivered or presented in any suitable way. In some examples, the selected television advertisement (or an identifier thereof) is sent by the PP to the TVP, along with the STB identifier or pseudonym (i.e., the STB identifier or pseudonym that was received from the TVP as being associated with OD1, and later associated with OD2 estimated to be at the STB location) and an indicator of the program, channel, time, or date on or during which the ad is to be presented. The TVP can use that information to arrange the presentation of the television advertisement on the STB at a suitable point in time. The PP can typically transmit the selected television advertisement, or an identifier thereof, to a CAS operated by the TVP along with the subscriber's STB identifier. The profile information (online or offline) pertaining to OD2 need not be conveyed to the TVP. In some examples, the PP can associate observed online behavior on OD2 with the selected targeted television advertisements delivered or presumed delivered on the STB associated with OD2, for online behavior that takes place on OD2 after the expected or reported presentation of the selected targeted television advertisements on the STB (as disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Patent Pub. 2009/0172728 or App. Ser. No. 12/906,007 referenced above).

(40) In various examples, television advertisements can be selected based on profiles associated with one or more OD2s associated with a STB, and then transmitted for storage on the STB, on an ad server or other server, or on another device; the stored television advertisement is presented only at a suitable point in time according to electronic instructions. In some cases, the stored television advertisement is shown only when the correct channel is being watched or during the correct television program. In another case, only when one of those OD2s is presumed to be “near” the STB (by the STB, PP, TVP, or a third party) is a corresponding stored television advertisement presented. In various cases, instructions stored in the STB cause the STB to present a stored ad when the STB detects a “nearby” OD2, or to present a stored ad when an OD2 is inferred to be “near” the STB based on a location history of that OD2, or to present a stored ad following detection of a “nearby” OD2 by the PP, TVP, or a third party. In another case, a selected television advertisement can be presented according to instructions stored in or received by an ad server to present an ad stored in the ad server. Different television ads can be presented at different times depending on different OD2s being presumed to be located near the STB proxy location at those different times.

Additional Features or Embodiments

(41) In examples wherein the presence of an online device is inferred based on a history or log of that online device being “near” an associated STB, such a history or log can be analyzed to predict future times when the online device will be present at the STB location (and therefore times when the user of the online device might be inferred to be present and watching television). For example, if an online device is connected to the Internet via the same IP address every Tuesday evening after 7 PM for the past three weeks, it might be presumed that the online device will be connected to the Internet via that same IP address on the next Tuesday evening after 7 PM. If the online device (when accessing the Internet via that IP address) was associated with a specific STB, then television advertisements targeted based on profile information associated with the online device can be transmitted to the STB for presentation on the following Tuesday evening after 7 PM. Such a technique for estimating future presence of an online device near a STB can be employed for choosing a time for presenting a television advertisement targeted based on OD2-associated profile information in the context of methods disclosed above, i.e., for presenting an OD2-targeted advertisement via the OD2-associated STB at a future time when that OD2 is predicted to be near that STB. That technique can also be employed for choosing a time for presenting a television advertisement targeted based on OD1-associated profile information, i.e., for presenting an OD1-targeted advertisement via the OD1-associated STB at a future time when that OD1 is predicted to be near that STB.

(42) The particular temporal pattern described above (Tuesday evening after 7 PM) is only exemplary; any discerned temporal pattern of an online device estimated to be “near” an associated STB can be employed as a basis for predicting future nearness of the associated online device and STB. The particular criterion for “nearness” described above (use of a particular IP address) also is only exemplary. Any suitable criterion for nearness, including those already described above for establishing associations between OD1 and the STB or between OD2 and the STB, can be employed as a basis for logging or recording an online device's history of being near an associated STB and for predicting future nearness of the associated online device and STB. In a similar manner, predicting future nearness of an online device to its associated STB can be based on geographic coordinates, street address, or any other suitable indicator of the online device's past locations.

(43) In many cases IP addresses used by online devices for online access are dynamic rather than static. This could create a problem when an IP address (or a portion thereof, such as the IP address prefix shared with the router of a LAN) is used as a proxy for a STB location. An online device in the previous example (an OD2, for example) can be estimated to be near an associated STB even if its IP address changes from one Tuesday evening to the next. If the same group of OD2s (each recognized by a unique cookie, tag, or device fingerprint, for example) were detected connected to a common LAN every Tuesday evening after 7 PM, then those OD2s could be presumed to be located at the same location every Tuesday evening after 7 PM even if the IP address via which they receive Internet traffic changes from day to day or week to week. If one of those temporary IP addresses had been estimated to be “near” a specific STB, or if an online device of the group connected to the LAN had been associated with a specific STB when that online device was connected to that LAN, then the entire group of OD2s can be associated with the STB. A LAN to which this group of OD2s is connected in the future can be similarly inferred to represent the STB location. A prediction that one of the OD2s will be at that STB location on a future Tuesday evening can be made despite any change of the IP address via which Internet traffic is received by the online device. Put another way, detection of a recognizable combination of multiple online devices connected to a common LAN can serve as a proxy for the associated STB location. Further, any online device recognized as being connected to the same LAN as the other online devices of the group could also be associated with the same STB.

(44) The sharing of a LAN by a group of devices (e.g., multiple online devices and/or a STB connected to a common LAN) can be recognized using different techniques. In one example, online devices sharing a LAN in an IPv4 architecture can be recognized by a web server communicating with the online devices as having the same IP address, i.e., the IP address of the modem connecting the LAN to the Internet. Based on that common IP address, the web server can infer that the online devices share a LAN. In another example, online devices sharing a LAN in an IPv6 architecture might be recognized by a web server communicating with the online devices as having a partial identical IP address (e.g., due to the online devices sharing a sub-net (the LAN), the prefixes of their IP addresses would be the same). Based on the sharing of part of an IP address, the web server can infer that the online devices share a LAN. In yet another example, online devices sharing a LAN (for example in an IPv6 architecture) can be recognized as such by a web server that has access to the online devices' IP addresses using the following method. The server can trace the route through the Internet from the server (the origin) to each online device (the destination), e.g., using a command such as “tracert” in a Windows® operating system. The server can recognize that the router, one “hop” before the route ends at each online device, is the same router for all of the online devices of a group. As a consequence, the server can infer that online devices receiving Internet traffic via that router are connected to a common LAN. (The server can recognize the router according to its IP address and optionally can determine whether the router's IP address is a residential or commercial IP address using a third party database.) More generally speaking, a LAN can serve as a proxy for a STB location. The LAN can be identified in different ways. Some of those ways include, but are not limited to: (a) the IP address of a modem connecting the LAN to the Internet in an IPv4 architecture, (b) the prefix of an IPv6 address of devices connected to the LAN or of the LAN's router, or (c) the IP address of the LAN's router.

(45) Any suitable criterion can be employed for estimating a common location for multiple online devices. For example, if three or more of a group of five online devices are often detected connected to a common LAN (in any suitable way, including those described above), then later detecting three of those five online devices connected to a common LAN characterized by a different IP address (or portion thereof) within, e.g., two hours or other suitable time interval, might be a suitable criterion for estimating that the different IP address (or portion thereof) corresponds to the associated STB location. In some instances detecting at least two of the online devices connected to the same LAN might be sufficient, while in other instances detecting four or more online devices connected to the same LAN might be necessary for a reliable presumption of nearness of the online devices to their associated STB.

(46) Additional examples of ways to determine the location of OD2 that is “near” a STB include the recognition of the usage of a software application on OD2 to control the associated STB, the usage of OD2 to add a movie to an instant queue from which that movie is later pulled to be watched from the STB (within a pre-determined period of time), the taking of a photo of a personalized barcode on the TV screen connected to the STB using OD2 (for example for the purpose of receiving a phone call to the home phone to learn about a product advertised on the television or to be able to view the advertised product web site on the smartphone screen). Such methods can also be employed to estimate that an initiating online device is “near” the STB and can be accurately presumed to function as OD1.

(47) In another example, a portable device location such as a mobile phone location can serve as an indication of the user location. For example, if a user's laptop (an OD2) is associated with the user's mobile phone (another OD2), the mobile phone user is at home with the mobile phone, and the laptop was left at work, then the home STB can be targeted with ads based on online activity on the laptop when the mobile phone is recognized to be at home, even if the laptop is not.

(48) In another variation, an online device is considered to be “near” the STB or not “near” the STB if its location was recorded within a pre-determined time period prior to the targeting of an ad to the STB (for example 30 minutes) and that recorded location is determined to be “near” or not “near” the STB.

(49) Although a PP could be an independent third party, in some cases it could be owned by a television provider or another entity involved in the sending of ads to STBs. The PP can work with a CAS operated by another entity in some situations. In other cases, a CAS could be owned or operated by a PP. Other combinations are also possible.

(50) In another example, location information of the STB is not shared by the TVP at all. The PP associates the initiating online device with different locations where it identifies the device (“location” defined in any of the various ways described above). For each such associated location, the PP further associates with the initiating online device other online devices identified by the PP as visiting that location. The time and date when each device was identified at a location can also be recorded. The PP selects different television ads targeted based on profile information associated with the different online devices associated with the different locations visited by the initiating online device. The PP provides the TVP with the television ads targeting the different online devices along with indicators of their respective locations (and possibly the time and date they were identified at that location). The TVP, which has access to STB location information, but does not share the information, can then compare the different locations with the STB location and deliver to the STB ads selected based on OD2 profiles for only those online devices that were detected at the STB location.

(51) Profile information associated with a given OD2 and used for selecting television advertisements targeted to a user of OD2 can originate from a variety of sources. For example, the PP can collect demographic or behavioral profile information based on online activity of the user of OD2, e.g., as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,925,440, 7,428,493, or U.S. Patent Pub. 2008/0313194 referenced above. In another example, the PP can obtain offline profile data pertaining to a user of OD2 that is a subscriber of an ISP that provides online access to the user of OD2, e.g., as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 7,890,609 referenced above. In another example, the PP can obtain offline profile data pertaining to a user of OD1 (i.e., the television subscriber of the TVP). That offline data can be obtained from the TVP or from a third-party provider of such offline data (typically facilitated by the TVP). The offline data typically is added to a profile for the user of OD1. However, providers of such offline profile information (e.g., credit reporting bureaus or direct-mail marketing companies) typically link much of the information by household. For example, such offline data for a husband and wife residing at the same address typically would be linked to one another. Therefore, it can be desirable for the PP also to link, to the profile associated with OD2, offline data obtained for the user of OD1. If the users of OD1 and OD2 are members of the same household, then a significant portion of the offline data obtained for the OD1 user will be pertinent to the OD2 user. The offline data associated with OD1 (facilitated by the TVP), can be associated with OD2 even if OD2 is “near” the STB location only transiently. The offline data thus associated with OD2 can be used to select television ads to be delivered to OD2 user on the associated STB; in addition, that offline data can also be used to select online ads to be delivered on OD2.

(52) The TVP can transmit offline profile information, or facilitate transmission from a third-party provider of such information, to the PP in any suitable way. For example, in several of the methods employed by the TVP to associate a primary online device OD1 with a STB (e.g., wherein a TVP email, a TVP site or application log in, or a personalized barcode is employed), the TVP can transmit to the PP offline profile data pertinent to the television subscriber (i.e., the user of OD1). The offline data can comprise information collected by the TVP itself, or can include information collected by the TVP from third-party providers. The offline data can be transmitted in any suitable manner, including those described above for conveying to the PP the STB identifier or pseudonym. The STB identifier or pseudonym and the offline data can be transmitted by the TVP to the PP together, or the offline data can be transmitted later and labeled with the STB identifier or pseudonym, to enable the PP to link the offline data to the STB and to any OD1 or OD2s associated with the STB. In another example, the TVP can transmit to a third-party offline data provider the television subscriber name (which is also the OD1 user name) and the corresponding STB identifier or pseudonym (which identifier or pseudonym is also transmitted to the PP to associate STB and OD1). The third-party data provider can in turn retrieve the pertinent offline data and transmit it to the PP along with the STB identifier or pseudonym, thereby enabling the PP to link the transmitted offline data to the OD1 profile, and also to any associated OD2 profiles, if desired. Use of a STB pseudonym may be preferred in this example, to limit the number of entities that become aware of the actual STB identifier used by the TVP. To address subscriber privacy concerns in any of the foregoing examples, it may be desirable that no PII (or only limited PII) be included in the offline data transmitted to the PP.

(53) In may be desirable, required, or necessary to maintain segregation of a subscriber's PII and online behavioral information. In the methods described above, the PP need not convey to the TVP any of the online profile information pertaining to online activity conducted via OD1 or any OD2. Conversely, the TVP (or third-party offline data provider) need not convey to the PP the subscriber's PII, except possibly location information for the subscriber's STB. That location information can be made as precise or imprecise as needed or desired to maintain a desired balance between maintaining subscriber privacy and establishing STB/OD1/OD2 associations with a necessary or desired level of accuracy.

(54) None of disclosed methods necessarily require the subscriber's PII to be transmitted to the PP; neither is such merging of PII and online profile information necessarily precluded. The merging of PII with online behavioral profile information would require asking consumers to opt-in and agree to the merger of the data. Segregation of PII from online behavior information can be opt-out-based and does not require asking consumers to agree; they can opt-out if they so choose. Because opt-out-based solutions enable large scale deployments whereas opt-in-based solutions usually lead to limited-scale deployments, it may be desirable in many instances to implement the methods described herein in an opt-out fashion, maintaining segregation of the subscriber's PII from his or her online behavioral profile information.

(55) One or more servers of the PP computer system can be programmed and connected to record in a log, history, tag or database time, date, and location data for each electronic contact with a multitude of online devices. Location data can include device GPS coordinates, identifiers of surrounding WiFi networks or cells towers and their relative signal strengths as recorded by the device, IP address, LAN proxies (e.g., the IP address of the modem connecting the LAN to the Internet, or the IP address or IP address prefix of the LAN's router), physical address, or other data that directly or indirectly can enable the computer system to determine, estimate, or infer the location of the online device. One or more PP servers can be further programmed and connected to receive data pertaining to an initiating online device used by a TVP subscriber and that subscriber's STB identifier and to store such data in a log, history, tag, or database. One or more PP servers can be further programmed and connected to search, on a batch, on-demand, or ongoing basis such logs, histories, or databases to seek online device locations that might be “near” an STB location or “near” another online device location. Various steps of the methods described above can be performed in response to finding such pairs of nearby device locations. Various steps of the methods described above can be performed in response to collection of a new piece of data (e.g., upon encountering of an online device, whether following a URL redirection from a TVP server or another PP server, at a certain time of the day, or from a specific location or type of location, and so on).

(56) In any of the examples including delivery of targeted online ads or targeted television ads, the ads can be provided by a wide variety of sources or entities, and revenues can be generated and distributed in a wide variety of ways. Examples are disclosed in one or more of the applications cited above. In various examples, a PP can be compensated for enabling targeting of a television advertisement (based on online profile information) as well as targeting an online advertisement (based on actual or presumed viewing of the television ad). In another example, a PP could be compensated for providing information that is used in measuring the effectiveness of television advertisements.

(57) For example, if following the presumed viewing of a Nissan Murano (an SUV) TV ad on a STB, an associated online user interface device is used to research the Nissan Murano on cars.com (a car review site), if cars.com redirects all visitor computers that read reviews of the Nissan Murano on cars.com to the CAS, then as a consequence of the redirect, the CAS can recognize the visit from the online interface device associated with the STB where the Nissan Murano television advertisement was presumed viewed. Such information can be very valuable for the advertiser. The advertiser or an advertiser representative (such as an ad agency), or an entity providing the advertiser with the service of measuring the effectiveness of the advertiser's TV ads as reflected by follow-up online behavior, could compensate cars.com for redirecting to the CAS those computers that visit cars.com's Nissan Murano review section.

(58) In another example, a PP is compensated for the usage of offline data in targeting an OD2 with online ads or the usage of offline data in targeting an OD2 user on a STB associated with OD2 with television ads, where, in both cases, the offline data is received by the PP following the facilitation of the TVP.

(59) The TV ads directed to STBs at the request of a PP can come from a variety of sources. Likewise, online ads directed to online user interface devices can come from a variety of sources. In one example, a given PP can request that the CAS direct an advertisement to the user's STB or online user interface device from (or on behalf of) the PP itself (if, for example, the PP is an online advertiser site interested in delivering TV ads to people that visited its online site) or from another entity that sells ad space to advertisers, some of whom may desire to present ads to the PP site's presumed audience. In that example, the proprietor of the CAS, as the facilitator of the targeted ad delivery, can receive a payment from the PP. The CAS proprietor can keep a share of revenue as a commission and pay the TVP for the ad space (except in the case where the CAS proprietor owns the ad space). The TVP can either retain the entire amount paid by the CAS proprietor, if the TVP owns the TV ad space within which the TV ad was delivered, or the TVP can pay some or all of the amount paid by the CAS proprietor to another entity such as a TV broadcasting network, if the TVP does not own the ad space.

(60) In another example, the CAS can pay the TVP for electronically associating the online user interface device and STB, pay a television ad space seller for the TV ad space, and pay an online site (or profile aggregator) for the use of its profile data in targeting the TV ad (unless the online site sold the TV ad or requested its delivery).

(61) In still another example, the CAS can record which entity is entitled to what payments, and payments are made directly from the television ad space seller or television advertiser to the various entitled entities, based on the CAS's records.

(62) In an example wherein the STB is provided by a third party other than the TVP (such as a service provider like Tivo), the STB provider can arrange with content owners (such as a TV broadcasting network) to have the service provider's STBs replace broadcasted TV ads with targeted TV ads, where a targeted TV ad is available, and the service provider and the TV broadcasting network can share the revenue with the CAS proprietor as discussed above. In some cases, the CAS can be owned by a TVP, an ISP, an STB provider, an online site, an advertiser, an advertising agency, an advertiser representative, an online ad space seller, a TV ad space owner, or a TV content provider, in which case the payments will be divided in accordance to the respective roles. In general, a payment from a TV advertiser is used to pay the TV ad space owner and the entities facilitating the delivery of the targeted TV ad.

(63) In another example, the online site or other PP can request that a television ad be directed to the user's STB from another advertiser of its own choosing to whom the online site has sold an amount of television advertising space, or that an online ad be directed to the user's online user interface device from another advertiser of its own choosing to whom the PP has sold an amount of online advertising space. In that example the PP or online site can collect a revenue amount from the site-chosen advertiser while paying the CAS, ISP, TVP, ISP/TVP, or ad space owner(s) in return for assisting to facilitate delivery of the ad(s) provided by the site-chosen advertiser.

(64) In another example, the PP provides a profile to the CAS in return for a payment triggered (1) every time the provided profile (whether including behavioral or demographic data) is used to deliver a TV ad, (2) when a TV ad that has been delivered using the provided profile generates revenues, (3) every time the provided profile (whether including behavioral or demographic data) is used to deliver an online ad, (4) when an online ad that has been delivered using the provided profile generates revenues, or (5) simply on account of delivery of the profile without regard to whether, how often, or how effectively it is used.

(65) The TV or online advertisement itself can be sold by the CAS, ISP, TVP, ISP/TVP, STB provider, TV ad space owner, or any third party such as a reseller or a firm that represents ad space owners or PPs and sells to advertisers. In that example the PP can collect a revenue amount from any of the entities benefiting from the delivery of the TV or online ad based on the profile provided by the PP, including the ad space owner, STB provider, CAS, ISP, TVP, ISP/TVP, or a third party selling the targeted ad space. The PP, reseller, or the other advertisers can also pay a revenue amount to the CAS, ISP, TVP, or ISP/TVP in return for directing the ad to the STB.

(66) A third party offline data provider that provides a PP with offline data following the facilitation of a TVP, could in one example receive a payment from the PP or any other entity benefiting from the usage of the offline data in targeting ads to an OD2 user, whether those ads are online ads on OD2 or television ads on a STB associated with OD2. In another example, the offline data provider pays the PP for associating the offline data with device OD2 thereby enabling usage of the offline data in targeting OD2 with online ads or targeting the OD2 user with television ads on a STB associated with OD2. The third party offline data provider could pay the PP for the association, when the data is used to target ads, when the ads targeted using the data generate any response (including sales), any combination of those payment methods, or any other compensation method.

(67) The systems and methods disclosed herein can be used to generate revenue in a variety of ways for various of the involved entities, not limited to the examples given here, that fall within the scope of the present disclosure or appended claims. The terms “pay,” “collect,” “receive,” and so forth, when referring to revenue amounts, can denote actual exchanges of funds or can denote credits or debits to electronic accounts, possibly including automatic payment implemented with computer tracking and storing of information in one or more computer-accessible databases. The terms can apply whether the payments are characterized as commissions, royalties, referral fees, holdbacks, overrides, purchase-resales, or any other compensation arrangements giving net results of split advertising revenues as stated above. Payment can occur manually or automatically, either immediately, such as through micro-payment transfers, periodically, such as daily, weekly, or monthly, or upon accumulation of payments from multiple events totaling above a threshold amount. The systems and methods disclosed herein can be implemented with any suitable accounting modules or subsystems for tracking such payments or receipts of funds.

(68) Various actions or method steps characterized herein as being performed by a particular entity typically are performed automatically by one or more computers or computer systems under the control of that entity, whether owned or rented, and whether at the entity's facility or at a remote location. The methods disclosed here are typically performed using software of any suitable type running on one or more computers, one or more of which are connected to the Internet. The software can be self-contained on a single computer, duplicated on multiple computers, or distributed with differing portions or modules on different computers. The software can be executed by one or more servers, or the software (or a portion thereof) can be executed by an online user interface device used by the electronic visitor (e.g., a desktop or portable computer; a wireless handset, “smart phone,” or other wireless device; a personal digital assistant (PDA) or other handheld device; a television or STB). Software running on the visitor's online user interface device can include, e.g., Java™ client software or so-called adware. Some methods can include downloading such software to an electronic visitor's online user interface device to perform there one or more of the methods disclosed herein.

(69) The profile information described can be included as a portion of the tags or cookies placed on a visitor's device, or the tags or cookies can merely include an identifier associated with the visitor's profile that is stored elsewhere (e.g., in a database on a profile owner server, profile supplier server, or media property server). The profile information need not be stored in a single location or under the control of a single entity, nor does control or use of the profile information need to be performed at a single location or under control of a single entity.

(70) The systems and methods disclosed herein can be implemented as general or special purpose computers or servers or other programmable hardware devices programmed through software, or as hardware or equipment “programmed” through hard wiring, or a combination of the two. A “computer” (e.g., a “server” or an online user interface device) can comprise a single machine or processor or can comprise multiple interacting machines or processors (located at a single location or at multiple locations remote from one another). A computer-readable medium can be encoded with a computer program, so that execution of that program by one or more computers causes the one or more computers to perform one or more of the methods disclosed herein. Suitable media can include temporary or permanent storage or replaceable media, such as network-based or Internet-based or otherwise distributed storage of software modules that operate together, RAM, ROM, CD ROM, CD-ft CD-R/W, DVD ROM, DVD±R, DVD±R/W, hard drives, thumb drives, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media, semiconductor media, or any future storage alternatives. Such media can also be used for databases recording the information described above.

(71) It is intended that equivalents of the disclosed exemplary embodiments and methods shall fall within the scope of this disclosure or appended claims. It is intended that the disclosed exemplary embodiments and methods, and equivalents thereof, may be modified while remaining within the scope of this disclosure or appended claims.

(72) In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together in several exemplary embodiments or examples for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. However, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a single disclosed exemplary embodiment. No feature should be considered “essential” or “necessary” absent express reference to that effect. The present disclosure shall also be construed as implicitly disclosing any embodiment having any suitable combination of disclosed features or examples (i.e., combinations of features or examples that are not incompatible or mutually exclusive) that appear in the present disclosure, including those combinations of features or examples that may not be explicitly disclosed herein in a stated combination.

(73) For purposes here, the conjunction “or” is to be construed inclusively (e.g., “a dog or a cat” would be interpreted as “a dog, or a cat, or both”; e.g., “a dog, a cat, or a mouse” would be interpreted as “a dog, or a cat, or a mouse, or any two, or all three”), unless: (i) it is explicitly stated otherwise, e.g., by use of “either . . . or,” “only one of,” or similar language; or (ii) two or more of the listed alternatives are mutually exclusive within the particular context, in which case “or” would encompass only those combinations involving non-mutually-exclusive alternatives. For purposes here, the words “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and variants thereof, wherever they appear, shall be construed as open-ended terminology, with the same meaning as if the phrase “at least” were appended after each instance thereof.

(74) If the provisions of 35 USC § 112 ¶6 are desired to be invoked in any apparatus claim associated herewith, then the word “means” will appear in that apparatus claim. If those provisions are desired to be invoked in a method claim, the words “a step for” will appear in that method claim. Conversely, if the words “means” or “a step for” do not appear in a claim, then the provisions of 35 USC § 112 ¶6 are not intended to be invoked for that claim.