Targeted television advertising based on profiles linked to multiple online devices

摘要

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.

主权项

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.