Methods, systems, and computer program products for obtaining consumer information over a communications network

Abstract

Default media services are provided to a multi-user multimedia device over a communications network responsive to identification of the multi-user multimedia device. Additional media services are provided to the multi-user multimedia device over the communications network responsive to obtaining confirmation that a particular one of a group of users of the multi-user multimedia device is currently using the multi-user multimedia device. Demographic information for the particular one of the group of users and device information for the multi-user multimedia device may be provided to an advertiser over the network in real-time, for example, so that advertising may be targeted accordingly. Related methods, systems, and devices are also discussed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a system for obtaining consumer information according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a media service provider system according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a multi-user multimedia device configured to obtain consumer information according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are flow charts illustrating exemplary operations for serving media content to a plurality of multi-user multimedia devices that are shared by a group of users over a communications network according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are flow charts illustrating operations for obtaining consumer information over a communications network according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are flow charts illustrating exemplary operations for obtaining consumer information according to further embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are block diagrams illustrating systems for obtaining consumer information and providing targeted advertising based on the obtained consumer information according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining consumer information, the method comprising: providing additional media services to a multi-user multimedia device over a communications network responsive to obtaining confirmation that a particular one of a group of users of the multi-user multimedia device is currently using the multi-user multimedia device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing default media services to the multi-user multimedia device over the communications network responsive to identification of the multi-user multimedia device and independent of the particular one of the group of users currently using the multi-user multimedia device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining confirmation that the particular one of the group of users is currently using the multi-user multimedia device comprises: requesting identification information for the particular one of the group of users currently using the multi-user multimedia device;receiving user identification information responsive to the requesting; andidentifying the particular one of the group of users based on the received user identification information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein requesting identification information is performed responsive to receiving a request for the additional media services from the multi-user multimedia device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein providing additional media services comprises: providing user-specific media services to the multi-user multimedia device over the communications network based on the identification of the particular one of the group of users.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing demographic information for the particular one of the group of users that is currently using the multi-user multimedia device over the communications network based on the confirmation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: serving advertising content to the multi-user device over the communications network based on the demographic information for the particular one of the group of users.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: after serving the advertising content, monitoring communications from devices associated with the particular one of the group of users to determine an effectiveness of the advertising content.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein providing demographic information further comprises: providing the demographic information for the particular one of the group of users and device information for the multi-user multimedia device to an advertiser.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: serving advertising content to the multi-user device over the communications network based on the demographic information and based on the device information for the multi-user multimedia device.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein providing additional media services is repeatedly performed for a plurality of multi-user multimedia devices and wherein providing demographic information is repeatedly performed for a plurality of current users of the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices to obtain cumulative demographic information for the plurality of current users.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: broadcasting advertising content to the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices over the communications network based on the cumulative demographic information for the plurality of current users.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein broadcasting the advertising content comprises: broadcasting the advertising content based on the cumulative demographic information for the plurality of current users and based on device information for the plurality of multi-user devices corresponding to the plurality of current users.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving the advertising content and desired network conditions for airing the advertising content from an advertiser; anddetermining that the desired network conditions are satisfied based on the cumulative demographic information and/or the device information for the plurality of multi-user devices;wherein broadcasting the advertising content comprises broadcasting the advertising content when the desired network conditions are satisfied.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the desired network conditions specify a particular demographic type, a predetermined number of current users, and/or a particular household location for a multi-user multimedia device.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising: after broadcasting the advertising content, monitoring communications over the network from devices associated with a respective current user and/or multi-user multimedia device to determine an effectiveness of the advertising content.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein monitoring communications comprises: monitoring communications over the network from the devices respectively associated with the plurality of current users and/or the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices to network devices associated with a provider of the advertising content.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein monitoring communications further comprises: monitoring the communications for a predetermined time period after broadcasting the advertising content to determine communications made responsive to broadcasting the advertising content.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: indicating, to a provider of the advertising content, a total number of communications made responsive to broadcasting the advertising content.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising: providing a counter associated with a respective multi-user multimedia device and/or current user thereof;incrementing the counter responsive to monitoring communications from devices associated with a respective current user and/or multi-user multimedia device to network devices associated with a provider of the advertising content to determine purchasing tendencies for the current user and/or the multi-user multimedia device; andproviding the purchasing tendencies to the provider of the advertising content.

21. A system for obtaining consumer information, comprising: a multimedia application server configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

22. A computer program product for obtaining consumer information, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

23. A method for obtaining consumer information at a multi-user multimedia device, the method comprising: obtaining confirmation that a particular one of a group of users of the multi-user multimedia device is currently using the multi-user multimedia device;providing the confirmation to a media service provider over a communications network; andreceiving additional media services from the media service provider over the communications network responsive to the confirmation.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: receiving default media services from the media service provider over the communications network responsive to providing device identification and independent of the particular one of the group of users currently using the multi-user multimedia device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein obtaining confirmation that the particular one of the group of users is currently using the multi-user multimedia device comprises: displaying a prompt for identification information for the particular one of the group of users currently using the multi-user multimedia device via a user interface; andreceiving user identification information via the user interface responsive to displaying the prompt.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein displaying the prompt for identification information is responsive to receiving a request for the additional media services via the user interface.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising: providing demographic information for the particular one of the group of users that is currently using the multi-user multimedia device to the media service provider over the communications network.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising: receiving advertising content over the communications network based on the demographic information for the particular one of the group of users; anddisplaying the received advertising content.

29. A multi-user multimedia device configured to carry out the method of claim 23.

30. A computer program product for obtaining consumer information for advertisers at a multi-user multimedia device, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to configured to carry out the method of claim 23.

31. A method for serving media content over a communications network to a plurality of multi-user multimedia devices that are shared by a group of users, the method comprising: serving default multimedia content to a respective multi-user multimedia device in response to identification of the respective multi-user multimedia device and independent of identification of a user who is currently using the respective multi-user multimedia device; andserving user-specific content to a respective multi-user multimedia device in response to identification of a user from the group of users who is currently using the respective multi-user multimedia device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein serving default multimedia content comprises serving different multimedia content to a respective multi-user multimedia device.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein serving user-specific content comprises serving user-specific, multimedia device-specific content to a respective multi-user multimedia device in response to identification of the multimedia device and in response to identification of the user from the group of users who is currently using the multi-user multimedia device.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the user-specific content comprises additional multimedia content and/or services.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the user-specific content comprises advertising content.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising the following prior to serving user-specific content: requesting identification information for the user who is currently using the multi-user multimedia device;receiving user identification information responsive to the requesting; andidentifying the user who is currently using the multi-user multimedia device based on the received user identification information.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein requesting identification information is performed responsive to receiving a request for the user-specific content from the respective multi-user multimedia device.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising: determining demographic information for the user who is currently using the respective multi-user multimedia device in response to identification of the user.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein serving user-specific content and determining demographic information is repeatedly performed for a plurality of users who are currently using the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices to obtain cumulative demographic information for the plurality of users.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising: serving advertising content to the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices over the communications network based on the cumulative demographic information.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein serving the advertising content comprises: receiving the advertising content and desired network conditions for airing the advertising content from an advertiser;determining that the desired network conditions are satisfied based on the cumulative demographic information and/or respective identifications of the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices; andserving the advertising content when the desired network conditions are satisfied.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the desired network conditions specify a particular demographic type, a predetermined number of users who are currently using the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices, and/or a particular household location for a respective multi-user multimedia device.

43. The method of claim 40, further comprising: after serving the advertising content, monitoring communications over the network from devices associated with a respective user and/or multi-user multimedia device to determine an effectiveness of the advertising content.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein monitoring communications comprises: monitoring communications over the network from the devices respectively associated with the plurality of current users and/or the plurality of multi-user multimedia devices to network devices associated with a provider of the advertising content.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein monitoring communications further comprises: monitoring the communications for a predetermined time period after broadcasting the advertising content to determine communications made responsive to broadcasting the advertising content.

46. A system for serving media content over a communications network to a plurality of multi-user multimedia devices that are shared by a group of users, comprising: a multimedia content server configured to carry out the method of claim 31.

47. A computer program product for serving media content over a communications network to a plurality of multi-user multimedia devices that are shared by a group of users, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to configured to carry out the method of claim 31.