IP Verse

Providing collected profiles to media properties having specified interests

Patent No. US8589210 (titled "Providing collected profiles to media properties having specified interests") on Sep 28, 2012. The application was issued on Nov 19, 2013.

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Technical Landscape

In the mid-2000s when ’210 was filed, behavioral targeting was typically implemented using domain-specific cookies that restricted a server's ability to recognize a user's history across different web properties. At a time when systems commonly relied on centralized ad servers to act as intermediaries for cross-site tracking, the exchange of user profile data between independent publishers and advertisers was often inefficient, leading to a landscape where high-traffic but general-interest media properties struggled to monetize their inventory. Furthermore, hardware and software constraints made the real-time synchronization of granular behavioral profiles across disparate domains non-trivial, often resulting in wasted processing resources when profile data was transferred to entities that lacked the specific sales infrastructure to monetize those particular user interests.

Prosecution Position

The disclosed invention represents a meaningful technical advancement by introducing an automated architectural shift in how behavioral profiles are distributed and synchronized between profile owners and media properties. Instead of indiscriminate data broadcasting, the system implements a request-based identification mechanism that matches collected user profiles against specific categories previously requested by a media property. This integration enables a targeted tagging process where a visitor is electronically marked with a tag readable by the specific media property interested in that profile category. The technical effect is a more efficient utilization of network and storage resources, overcoming the constraint of domain-restricted cookies while ensuring that profile usage is accurately tracked for royalty attribution. This capability allows media properties to programmatically enhance their low-value ad inventory with high-relevance targeting data that aligns strictly with their specific monetization strengths.

Claims

This patent contains 23 claims, with claims 1, 17, and 19 serving as the independent claims. The independent claims focus on a computerized system and method for managing visitor profiles by automatically matching profile information with entity requests, arranging for electronic visitor tagging via specific URLs, and tracking profile usage to calculate fees owed to multiple profile suppliers based on their respective data contributions. The dependent claims further specify technical implementations such as URL redirection for data collection and tagging, the categorization of profile data, the inclusion of personally identifiable information within tags, and the delivery of profile-dependent advertisements across various platforms including television and the Internet.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)	Support for Specification	Interpretation
Domain specified in the URL (Claim 1, Claim 17, Claim 19)	The only server that can read a cookie on a user's computer is a server operating under the same domain as the server that placed the cookie. A cookie placed by a server operating under one domain cannot be read by another server working under a separate domain. The PO company arranges for the visitor to be tagged with a tag readable by the media property by using a domain the media property can access.	The specific internet network location identified by a media property that dictates which server has the technical authority to read or write a tag (cookie) on a visitor's device.
Electronic-advertising-space-controlling entity (Claim 1, Claim 17, Claim 19)	A media property can be defined as any equipment that controls an ad space viewed by a visitor, including a web site, an ad network's site, or a TV network. Ad space can be a fixed position on a page or inventory made available to an ad network when a web site did not sell all its impressions. The entity is allowed to sell an advertisement and deliver it within the ad space, whether owned by that entity or used by paying the owner.	An entity, such as a publisher, ad network, or media property owner, that has the authority to sell and deliver advertisements within a specific digital space (e.g., a website, TV program, or streaming audio) viewed by a visitor.
Profile data (Claim 1, Claim 17, Claim 19)	The observed behavior of a visitor to a first media property is referred to as profile information, which might be enhanced by behavior on other properties. A visitor's profile can be represented by a unique tag or stored with the tag in a central database. Profiles allow low-value ad space to be turned into high-value space by delivering ads relevant to the person's interests rather than just the page content.	Information representing a visitor's characteristics or history, including observed behaviors (searches, clicks, content read), demographic information, or user-provided details, used to target advertisements.
Profile-dependent electronic advertisement (Claim 19)	Using profiles for the delivery of targeted ads within low-value ad space can turn it into high-value ad space by delivering ads based on previously collected profiles rather than ads related to the content on the page. For example, a 'car insurance' ad delivered to a person who yesterday searched for 'car insurance' while they are currently reading a general news page. These ads are delivered to profiled visitors when they are found later on the same site or other sites.	An advertisement selected for delivery to a visitor based on previously collected profile information (such as past search behavior or interests) rather than the immediate content of the page being viewed.
Profile owner company (Claim 19)	A PO company acts as an automatic system for identifying media properties interested in having a collected profile made available to them. The PO company arranges for the visitor to be tagged with a tag readable by the media property that requested such a profile. It may act as a databank representing other profile owners, determining which supplier to credit for usage and recording amounts owed by media properties.	An entity (often a Behavioral Targeting company or databank) that manages, aggregates, and identifies media properties interested in using collected profiles to serve targeted advertisements.
Profile supplier (Claim 1, Claim 17, Claim 19)	A publisher may be referred to as a 'profile supplier' when it transfers profile information, such as behavioral or demographic information, to a BT company. A BT company that has software installed on a user's computer is its own profile supplier as it monitors user activity directly. The profile supplier provides profiles in return for royalties or payments whenever the profiles are used for targeted ads.	An entity, such as a publisher or a company with installed user software, that collects and transfers visitor profile information (behavioral, demographic, or user-provided) to a profile owner company or databank.
Tag (Claim 1, Claim 17, Claim 19)	A tag generally is a unique identifier used to mark a person electronically visiting a media property using a computer, mobile device, or TV set. The tag is used for the purpose of delivering additional ads to a visitor on other media properties based on the visitor's collected profile. It can be stored on the user's device, such as a cookie, or in a central database where the tag acts as a record finder.	A unique electronic identifier (such as a cookie, IP address, or device serial number) used to mark a visitor and their associated profile data, enabling recognition of that visitor across different media properties.

Patent Summary

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case Number	Filing Date	Title
7:25-cv-00180	Apr 18, 2025	Almondnet, Inc. And Datonics Llc V. Adobe Inc.
7:25-cv-00059	Feb 7, 2025	Datonics LLC v. Oracle Corporation

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US8589210

Application Number: US13631244A
Filing Date: Sep 28, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 19, 2013
External Links: Slate, USPTO , Google Patents