Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates generally to computers and communications,
and more specifically, to a method and system for targeting distribution of
information
over computer networks.
Background of the Invention
It is well known that data communication networks such as the Internet, Wide
Area Networks (WANs) and Local Area Networks (LANs), offer tremendously
efficient means of organizing and distributing computerized data. These
efficiencies
have resulted in their widespread use for both business and personal
applications.
For example, the Internet is now a common medium for operating online
auctions,
academic and public forums, distributing publications such as newspapers and
magazines, and performing electronic commerce and electronic mail
transactions.
The hardware and software used to implement the Internet, as well as the
content that is carried, all have a cost. In many other media, such as
television and
radio, the cost to end users is nominal because advertisers pay for most of
the cost of
the infrastructure. However, there are no effective ways of managing
advertising
over the Internet.
The Internet is an excellent medium for advertising because of the rich
formatting, including for example, sound, animation and personal interaction
with the
End User. As well, the Internet is pervasive in developed countries and the
cost for
creation of the content is minimal.
While the Internet is an international communication network, advertising and
much other content has only local value. Hence, in order to for advertising to
be
effective, some efficient manner of targeting advertising to users based on
their
geographical location is required.
Figure 1 presents an exemplary layout of an Internet communications system
30. The Internet 32 itself is represented by a number of routers 34
interconnected by
an Internet backbone 36 network designed for high-speed transport of large
amounts
of data. User's computers 38 may access the Internet in a number of manners
including modulating and demodulating data over a telephone line using audio
frequencies which requires a modem 40 and connection to the Public Switched
Telephone Network 42, which in turn connects to the Internet 32 via an
Internet
Service Provider 44. Another manner of connection is the use of set top boxes
50
which modulate and demodulate data onto high frequencies which pass over
existing
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telephone or television cable networks 52 and are connected directly to the
Internet
via Hi-Speed Internet Service Provider 54. Generally, these high frequency
signals
are transmitted outside the frequencies of existing services passing over
these
telephone or television cable networks 52.
Web sites are maintained on servers 37 also connected to the Internet 32
which provide content and applications to the User's computers 38.
Communications between user's computers 38 and the rest of the network 30 are
standardized by means of defined communication protocols.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 44, 54 or Internet Access Providers (IAPs),
are companies that provide access to the Internet. ISPs 44, 54 are considered
by
some to be distinguished from IAPs in that they also provide content and
services to
their subscribers, but in the context of this disclosure the distinction is
irrelevant. For
a monthly fee, ISPs 44, 54 generally provide end users with the necessary
software,
username, password and physical access. Equipped with a telephone line modem
40 or set top box 50, one can then log on to the Internet 32 and browse the
World
Wide Web, and send and receive e-mail.
Figure 1 is something of a simplification, as ISPs are often connected to the
Internet 32 through Network Access Points (NAPs), rather than directly as
shown in
Figure 1. As well, the Internet itself is far more complex than that shown in
Figure 1.
However, these details would be well known to one skilled in the art.
The Internet is a connectionless network service, in that a single
communication may be broken up into a multitude of data packets that follow
different paths in flowing between the same source and destination.
Traditional
telephony in contrast, establishes a single path that all of the data in the
communication follow.
The Internet consists of a vast interconnection of computers, servers,
routers,
computer networks and public telecommunication networks which allows two
parties
to communicate via whatever entities happen to be interconnected at any
particular
time. Presently, the systems that make up the Internet comprise many different
varieties of computer hardware and software. In general, this variety is not a
great
hindrance as the Internet is unified by a small number of standard transport
protocols. These protocols transport data as simple packets, the nature of the
packet contents being inconsequential to the transport itself. The difficulty
lies in the
receiving end which must determine how the contents of the received packet are
to
be read.
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Typically, advertising on the Internet today is non-discriminant. The same
advertisements are presented to any end user who accesses a given web page,
regardless of who they are or where they are from. Some web pages have a large
number of advertisements that are cycled through, so that a different
advertisement
may appear each time one accesses the page, but again, this is done in a non-
discriminant basis.
Obviously, this approach is not efficient, as some viewers will not be in the
geographic marketing area of the advertiser, which may be limited to a
continent,
country or region. While it is known how to monitor the number of end users
who
have viewed a web page or an advertisement, it is not possible to determine
how
many of those end users are part of the targeted group. Therefore, this form
of
advertising has little commercial value.
Some web sites monitor the preferences of end users accessing their web
sites, and record those specifics. One method of doing this is to collect
"cookies"
from end users. Cookies are messages given to a Web browser by a Web server
when the end user accesses that web server, which the browser stores in a text
file.
The cookie is then sent back to the web server each time the web browser
requests a
web page from the web server.
The main purpose of cookies is to identify end users and possibly prepare
customized Web pages for them. However, the creation of user preference
databases are generally considered by the public to be an invasion of privacy,
so
there is pressure to create laws or apply existing laws to prevent such
monitoring.
Such monitoring has also encouraged the development of anonymous servers,
which
serve as intermediaries to disguise end users from the web sites they wish to
access.
Many dial up ISPs use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) which
dynamically assigns IP addresses to subscribers when they call up. Therefore,
a
device can have a different IP address every time it connects to the network,
and in
some systems, the device's IP address can even change while it is still
connected.
Dynamic addressing simplifies network administration because the software
keeps track of IP addresses rather than requiring an administrator to manage
the
task. This means that a new computer can be added to the network without the
inconvenience of manually assigning it a unique IP address. Because the end
user is
not associated with a unique address, existing methods which create a
preference
database for that end user, will not work.
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Another proposal is to create databases which will provide geographic
locations based on the IP address of the user. In addition to the cost of
creating and
maintaining these databases, which would require continuous modification and
updating, this approach still requires the user's actual IP address, which
again, raises
privacy concerns.
Another approach is to use the existing global positioning system (GPS) to
identify the geographic location of end users. The GPS is a system of 24
satellites
for identifying earth locations, launched by the U.S. Department of Defense.
By
triangulation of signals from three of the satellites, a receiving unit can
pinpoint its
current location anywhere on earth to within a few meters. However, such
systems
require special, expensive hardware and software, and even with this
equipment,
DNS routing tables still must have a translation table to direct packets
through the
Internet. It is not reasonable to expect that such DNS tables will become
common
due to their high cost.
It has also been proposed that IPv6 be designed to accommodate location
information. IPv6 is the next generation IP protocol, which among other
things,
expands the address space from 32 to 128 bits. Therefore, the address space
has
sufficient room to include both a backward compatible IP address, as well as
geographic data. However, this would require universal agreement or
standardization, which has not occurred. As well, IPv6 has not been widely
implemented, and will likely require some time to replace the currently
pervasive IPv4
legacy hardware and software. Internet routers which form the backbone of the
Internet, will require routing tables in order to know where to direct data
packets.
Hence, IPv6 will not be able to employ geographic routing to any significant
extent
until a large percentage of the existing routers have been modified. Without
standardization, this will not happen.
If the above problems could be overcome, geographical targeting could be
used for far more than simply advertising. Any content which is of regional
interest
could be distributed, including local news, stock quotations, weather reports,
road
conditions and public meetings.
There is therefore a need for a means of targeting geographic audiences over
the Internet and similar networks, provided with consideration for the
problems
outlined above.
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Summary of the Invention
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and system
which
obviates or mitigates at least one of the disadvantages described above.
One aspect of the invention is broadly defined aS a method of targeted
distribution over a communication network comprising the steps of: an End User
sending a request to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), for a web page from a
Web
Site; and the ISP returning the web page to the End User, including targeted
content
based on the location of the ISP.
Another aspect of the invention is defined as a system for targeted
distribution
of content over a communication network comprising: an End User; an Internet
Service Provider (ISP); and a communication network for interconnecting the
End
user and the ISP; the End User being operable to: send a request to the
Internet
Service Provider (ISP) for a web page; and the ISP being operable to: return
the web
page to the End User, including targeted content based on the location of the
ISP.
Brief Description of the Drawings
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the
following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings in
which:
Figure 1 is a physical layout of an exemplary communication network as known
in
the prior art;
Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method of targeted distribution in a preferred
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3 is a block diagram of a system of targeted distribution in a
preferred
embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method of targeted distribution in a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention
A methodology which addresses the objects outlined above, is presented as a
flow chart in Figure 2. This figure presents a method of targeted distribution
over a
communication network which is initiated when an End User sends a request to
his
Internet Service Provider (ISP) for a web page at step 60. The ISP returns the
requested web page to the End User at step 62, including targeted content
based on
the location of the ISP.
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The communication network may be one of many known in the art, and may
consist of several different networks working together, including wireless
networks
such as cellular telephone networks, the public switched telephone network,
cable
television networks, the Internet, ATM networks, frame relay networks, local
area
networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs).
The End User may send his request to his ISP using a number of different
devices including a computer, smart terminal, personal digital assistant,
Internet-
ready telephone or other similar interface. Such devices are well known in the
art.
The web page that has been requested is not intended to limit the claimed
invention, and could include text, graphics, audio files, executable applets,
data files
or attachments such as software ales, or other data and files known in the
art.
The ISP may obtain the web page from a number of sources, though
generally it will be from the Web Site maintaining the page. Often, however,
the
same content may be available in a memory cache on the ISP's equipment, or in
a
similar cache elsewhere on the communication network. As well, Web Sites may
have mirror sites to which the request may be directed.
Once the ISP obtains the web page data, it inserts targeted content which is
determined by the location of the ISP itself. The targeted content will most
likely
include advertising, but may also include other information of regional
interest,
including road maps, weather reports, local news and announcements, stock
quotations and public meetings. As well, geographical targeting could be used
to
tailor the language used on a web site or portal to the local requirements.
Yahoo, for
example, could default to send English web pages to ISPs in North America, and
German web pages to ISPs in Germany.
This information may be stored on the ISP's equipment, or obtain from any
other location accessible over the communication network.
The invention of Figure 2 addresses the problems in the art. It allow
advertisements and other content to be directed geographically, which makes
such
advertising far more effective and should address the cost issues which
presently
hinder growth of the Internet.
No additional hardware is required as in the case of the GPS solutions, and
DNS routers do not need to be modified. Therefore, there is no additional cost
to the
End User and the invention may be applied without affecting the existing
network. As
well, the invention is independent of whether Iv4 or IPv6 is being used.
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Because the targeting is determined by the location of the ISP and does not
require the IP address of the end User, the invention also operates with
Dynamic
Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) systems.
The preferred embodiment of the invention is presented in by means of the
block diagram in Figure 3, and the flow chart of Figure 4. Figure 3 identifies
the
relevant parties in the transaction of the invention, and does not present the
same
level of detail as Figure 1.
A number of End Users 70 are presented, who have access to the Internet 32
via their ISP 72. The End Users 70 may employ computers 38 as in Figure 1, or
other interface devices as known in the art, and as will emerge as technology
evolves. These End Users 70 may access their ISP 72 in different ways, such as
via
cable modem, telephone line mode, or wireless methods, which is not limited by
the
invention.
Via the Internet 32, the End Users 70 then have access to various Web Sites
74, who provide them with web pages and other content. The Web Sites 74 and
ISP
72 also have secure access to an advertising server 76 which stores the
regional
content. The advertising server 76 is described in greater detail hereinafter.
The corresponding method of the invention is presented as a flow chart in
Figure 4. This method is initiated by end user sending a request to an
Internet
Service Provider, for a web page from a Web Site, at step 80. This step will
generally
be effected by the End User searching through the resources of the World Wide
Webs, using his Web Browser. A Web browser is an application program that runs
on the end user's computer 38 and provides a way to look at and interact with
all the
information on the World Wide Web. A Web browser uses HTTP to make requests of
Web servers throughout the Internet on behalf of the Web browser user.
Currently,
most Web browsers are implemented as graphical user interfaces.
When the end user enters ale requests by either "opening" a Web file, typing
in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), or clicking on a hypertext link, the Web
browser builds an HTTP request and sends it to the Internet Protocol address
indicated by the URL. The HTfP software in the destination server machine
receives
the request and, after any necessary processing, the requested file is
returned.
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (H1TP) is the set of rules for exchanging
files
on the World Wide Web, including text, graphic images, sound, video, and other
multimedia files. HTTP also allows files to contain references to other files
whose
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selection will elicit additional transfer requests (hypertext links).
Typically, the HTTP
software on a Web server machine is designed to wait for HTTP requests and
handle
them when they arrive.
Next, at step 82, the ISP receives the request from the End User and send a
request to the Web Site with a tag indicating that targeted advertising is to
be applied.
The Web Site identifies the tag and returns the requested web page with
identifiers in place of the usual advertising that they generate themselves,
at step 84.
As well, this web page still has the targeted advertising tag intact.
When the web page with the tag is received by the ISP, it responds at step 86
by querying an advertising server to obtain the local advertising software
code, or
other regional conterit.
The local advertising server 76 responds at step 88 by:
1. identifying the physical location of the ISP 72;
2. indexing a database of advertising software code or other regional content,
using physical location of the ISP 72;
3. returning the advertising software code to the ISP 72; and
4. recording the transaction for accounting purposes.
Upon receipt of the local advertising software code at step 90, the ISP simply
inserts the software code into the web page and sends it to the end user.
The physical location of the ISP may be determined at step 72, in a number of
manners including the following:
1. Indication by ISP
Of course, the ISP could simply identify its physical location to the
advertising
server when it places its request. To streamline the process, the advertising
server could standardize the references, rather than using latitude and
longitude, it could for example, provide listings of towns, cities and
counties
that the ISP associates itself with.
2. 1P Address
Internet Protocol (1P) addresses are identifiers for computers or devices on
an
Internet network, which are used to route messages. The format of an IP
address in IPv4 is a 32-bit number which consists of a network prefix, and a
host number. In "subnet" networks, the 32-bits are shared with a third
component - the "subnet number".
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The network prefix, or network prefix and subnet number in combination
(sometimes referred to as the extended network prefix), identifies the ISP, or
at least its network access point (NAP). Therefore, this information can be
used to identify the physical ISP that an end user is connected to. With this
information, the advertising server can send the proper regional content to
the
end user.
The number of unassigned Internet addresses is running out, so a new
"classless" scheme called Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) is gradually
replacing the system based on classes A, B, and C and is tied to adoption of
IPv6. With CIDR, IP addresses still have a network prefix and subnet
number, but the formatting has changed. Therefore, the invention can be
applied to CIDR just as easily as the existing IP class system.
3. MAC or DLC Address
In networks, a node is a processing location, and can be a computer or some
other device, such as a printer. Every node has a unique network address,
sometimes called a Data Link Control (DLC) address or Media Access Control
(MAC) address.
A Media Access Control (MAC) address is a hardware address that uniquely
identifies each node of a network. In IEEE 802 networks, the Data Link
Control (DLC) layer of the OSI Reference Model is divided into two sublayers:
the Logical Link Control (LLC) layer and the Media Access Control (MAC)
layer. The MAC layer interfaces directly with the network media.
On networks that do not conform to the IEEE 802 standards but do conform to
the OSI Reference Model, the node address is called the Data Link Control
(DLC) address.
If the ISP does not transmit it physical address in its request, the
advertising
server may use the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) to convert the IP
address into a physical address, such as a DLC address. The advertising
server wishing to obtain a physical address broadcasts an ARP request onto
the Internet. The server on the network that has the IP address in the request
(the ISP in this case) then replies with its physical hardware address.
The invention is not limited by the nature of the Web page being transmitted.
The invention could be used to insert simple banners into web pages, or more
sophisticated multimedia advertisements. As well, these advertisements could
be
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sent along with real audio, real video, telephone over Internet, video
conferencing
over Internet, or other data and software applications.
The invention could also be applied to cellular wireless applications, as
cellular systems are local systems. As a car travels from one cell to the
next, the
cellular network would have to track the user in order to maintain the
communication.
It would necessarily know which cell the user is in. As web sites would
recognize the
MAC address of the cellular provider, the advertising may change as the end
user
moves from one cell to the next.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and
described, it is clear that changes and modifications may be made to such
embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.
In the preferred embodiment, an advertising server is used which will
administer advertising in an effective and secure manner, accounting for the
financial
agreement between the various Web Server and ISPs. However, the web site may
perform this functionality itself, in fact, it may implement the invention
without the
knowledge of either the ISP or the End User. Alternatively, the ISP could
replace
advertising in web pages received from Web Sites with its own content, or
simply add
its own advertising banners or headers to web pages.
The method steps of the invention may be embodiment in sets of executable
machine code stored in a variety of formats such as object code or source
code.
Such code is described generically herein as programming code, or a computer
program for simplification. Clearly, the executable machine code may be
integrated
with the code of other programs, implemented as subroutines, by external
program
calls or by other techniques as known in the art.
The embodiments of the invention may be executed by a computer processor
or similar device programmed in the manner of method steps, or may be executed
by
an electronic system which is provided with means for executing these steps.
Similarly, an electronic memory medium such computer diskettes, CD-Roms,
Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM) or similar computer
software storage media known in the art, may be programmed to execute such
method steps. As well, electronic signals representing these method steps may
also
be transmitted via a communication network.
The invention could, for example, be applied to computers, smart terminals,
personal digital assistants and Internet-ready telephones. Again, such
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implementations would be clear to one skilled in the art, and do not take away
from
the invention.
