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A system for delivering content desired by a specific user among a plurality of users directly to a user client of the specific user via the Internet is disclosed. The system comprises at least one server including a memory. The at least one server is designed and configured for (a) receiving a user profile from the specific user, the user profile defining user preferences with respect to a plurality of criteria; (b) storing a plurality of content items in the memory, each of the items having a content profile with respect to the plurality of criteria; (c) assembling a packet of content items, each of the items in the packet being characterized by a correspondence between the user profile and the content profile; and (d) sending the packet to the user client of the specific user.

Inventors: Gady Vekslar, Guy Ernest
Original Assignee: Targetize Innovative Solutions Ltd.
Primary Examiner: Viet D. Vu
Attorney: Mark M. Friedman
Current U.S. Classification: 709/226; 709/219; 709/227; 709/231; 709/232
International Classification: G06F/1300

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Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
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US6014701Jul 3, 1997Jan 11, 2000Microsoft CorporationSelecting a cost-effective bandwidth for transmitting information to an end user in a computer network
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US6151632May 30, 1997Nov 21, 2000Microsoft CorporationMethod and apparatus for distributed transmission of real-time multimedia information
US6157924Nov 7, 1997Dec 5, 2000Bell & Howell Mail Processing Systems CompanySystems, methods, and computer program products for delivering information in a preferred medium
US6164975Dec 11, 1998Dec 26, 2000Marshall WeingardenInteractive instructional system using adaptive cognitive profiling

Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US6847992Jul 31, 2000Jan 25, 2005NetZero, Inc.Data pass-through to sponsors
US6934697Aug 4, 2000Aug 23, 2005NetZero, Inc.Creating customized internet access client user interface
US7013290Jul 26, 2002Mar 14, 2006Personalized interactive digital catalog profiling
US7054900Nov 20, 2000May 30, 2006NetZero, Inc.Automatic, profile-free web page recommendation
US7181415Apr 30, 2004Feb 20, 2007NetZero, Inc.Targeting of advertisements to users of an online service
US7263516Feb 20, 2002Aug 28, 2007BEA Systems, Inc.System for and method of storing and elaborating user preferences
US7353267Apr 7, 2000Apr 1, 2008NetZero, Inc.Targeted network video download interface
US7383350Feb 3, 2000Jun 3, 2008International Business Machines CorporationUser input based allocation of bandwidth on a data link
US7516213Mar 25, 2004Apr 7, 2009NetZero, Inc.Automatic video display on a computer
US7562152Mar 10, 2008Jul 14, 2009International Business Machines CorporationUser input based allocation of bandwidth on a data link
US7574364Sep 12, 2001Aug 11, 2009Yamaha CorporationContents rating method
US7734632Oct 28, 2005Jun 8, 2010Disney Enterprises, Inc.System and method for targeted ad delivery
US7797338Dec 9, 2004Sep 14, 2010AOL Inc.System and method for facilitating personalization of applications based on anticipation of users' interests
US7844491Aug 4, 2000Nov 30, 2010NetZero, Inc.Sponsorship/advertising for an internet client
US7937288Sep 27, 2006May 3, 2011NetZero, Inc.Targeting of advertisements to users of an online service
US8108425Sep 10, 2010Jan 31, 2012AOL Inc.System and method for facilitating personalization of applications based on anticipation of users' interests
US8131733Jun 7, 2010Mar 6, 2012Disney Enterprises, Inc.System and method for targeted Ad delivery

Claims

1. A system for delivering content desired by a specific user among a plurality of users directly to a user client of the specific user via the Internet, the system comprising at least one server including a memory and being designed and configured for:

(a) receiving a user profile from the specific user, said user profile defining user preferences with respect to a plurality of criteria;
(b) storing a plurality of content items in said memory, each of said items having a content profile with respect to said plurality of criteria;
(c) assembling a packet of content items, each of said items in said packet being characterized by a correspondence between said user profile and said content profile;
(d) sending said packet to the user client of the specific user when bandwidth is available on a channel of communication between said user client and said server, such that connectivity of the user client is affected as little as possible by sending of said packet by said server; and
(e) sensing available bandwidth in said communication channel and adjusting sending activity accordingly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said items in said packet is selected from the group consisting of a digital file, a compressed digital file, and a digital file buffered to the size of a communication protocol pack length.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said content items in said packet contains at least one item selected from the group consisting of a picture, text, audio information, an animated picture, a video image and video animation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of criteria include at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of a country of origin, a language, a date, a topic, a keyword and a key phrase.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said user profile and said content profile each independently contain values for each of said at least one criterion, said values are selected from the group consisting of a predefined list of values, a specific numerical value, a range of numerical values, a rating assigned by an organization and a user mark.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said user mark is a value between 1 and 1.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said correspondence between said user profile and said content profile is selected from the group consisting of a Boolean correspondence and a statistical correspondence.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is further designed and configured to receive communications from said user client informing said server of user reactions to said items in said packet and to update said user preferences in said user profile in accordance with said reactions.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is further designed and configured to receive communications from said user client informing said server of an internet surfing activity of the user and to update said user preferences in said user profile in accordance with said internet surfing activity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is identified only by means of an item selected from the group consisting of the user client used by the user and a random number.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said content items stored in said memory contain the content desired by the specific user, the content being downloadable to said user client so as to be available to the user without a network connection.

12. A system for receiving content desired by a specific user among a plurality of users via the Internet, the system comprising a user client including a memory and being designed and configured for:

(a) transmitting a user profile from the specific user to a server, said user profile defining user preferences with respect to a plurality of criteria;
(b) receiving, when bandwidth is available on a channel of communication between said user client and said server, a packet of content items in said memory, each of said items having a content profile with respect to said plurality of criteria, and notifying the specific user of receipt of said packet;
(c) storing said packet of content items in a memory device of said user client;
making available to the specific user said content items in said packet; and
(e) causing said server to sense available bandwidth in said communication channel and adjust sending activity accordingly;
such that connectivity of the user client is affected as little as possible by sending of said packet by said server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of said items in said packet is selected from the group consisting of a digital file, a compressed digital file, and a digital file buffered to the size of a communication protocol pack length.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein each of said content items in said packet contains at least one item selected from the group consisting of a picture, text, audio information, an animated picture, a video image and video animation.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of criteria include at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of a country of origin, a language, a date, a topic, a keyword and a key phrase.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said user profile and said content profile each independently contain values for each of said at least one criterion, said values are selected from the group consisting of a predefined list of values, a specific numerical value, a range of numerical values, a rating assigned by an organization and a user mark.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said user mark is a value between 1 and 1.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said correspondence between said user profile and said content profile is selected from the group consisting of a Boolean correspondence and a statistical correspondence.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said user client is further designed and configured to communicate with said server for informing said server of user reactions to said items in said packet.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein said user client is further designed and configured to communicate with said server for informing said server of an internet surfing activity of the user.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the user is identified only by means of an item selected from the group consisting of the user client used by the user and a random number.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein said content items stored in said memory contain the content desired by the specific user, the content being downloadable to said user client so as to be available to the user without a network connection.

23. A method for delivering content desired by a specific user among a plurality of users directly to a user client of the specific user via the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a user profile from the specific user, said user profile defining user preferences with respect to a plurality of criteria;
(b) storing a plurality of content items, each of said items having a content profile with respect to said plurality of criteria;
(c) assembling a packet of content items, wherein each of said items in said packet is characterized by a correspondence between said user profile and said content profile; and (d) sending said packet to the user client of the specific user when bandwidth is available on a channel of communication between said user client and said server; and
(e) sensing available bandwidth in said communication channel and adjusting sending activity accordingly;
such that connectivity of the user client is affected as little as possible by sending of said packet by said.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein each of said items in said packet is selected from the group consisting of a digital file, a compressed digital file, and a digital file buffered to the size of a communication protocol pack length.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein each of said content items in said packet contains at least one item selected from the group consisting of a picture, text, audio information, an animated picture, a video image and video animation.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said plurality of criteria include at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of a country of origin, a language, a date, a topic, a keyword and a key phrase.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said user profile and said content profile each independently contain values for each of said at least one criterion, said values are selected from the group consisting of a predefined list of values, a specific numerical value, a range of numerical values, a rating assigned by an organization and a user mark.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said user mark is a value between 1 and 1.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein said correspondence between said user profile and said content profile is selected from the group consisting of a Boolean correspondence and a statistical correspondence.

30. The method of claim 23, comprising the additional step of:

(e) receiving communications from said user client informing said server of user reactions to said items in said packet and updating said user preferences in said user profile in accordance with said reactions.

31. The method of claim 23, comprising the additional step of:

(f) receiving communications from said user client informing said server of an internet surfing activity of the user and updating said user preferences in said user profile in accordance with said internet surfing activity.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein said user profile identifies the user only by means an item selected from the group consisting of the user client used by the user and a random number.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein said content items stored in said memory contain the content desired by the specific user, the content being downloadable to said user client so as to be available to the user without a network connection.

34. A method for delivering content desired by a specific user among a plurality of users directly to the user by means of a user client of the specific user which is in communication with the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a user profile from the specific user to a server, said user profile defining user preferences with respect to a plurality of criteria;
(b) receiving, when bandwidth is available on a channel of communication between said user client and said server, a packet of content items, each of said items having a content profile with respect to said plurality of criteria and notifying the specific user of said receipt;
(c) storing said packet of content items in a memory device of said user client; and
(d) making available to the specific user said content items in said packet;
(e) causing said server to sense available bandwidth in said communication channel and adjust sending activity accordingly; such that connectivity of the user client is affected as little as possible by sending of said packet by said server.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein each of said items in said packet is selected from the group consisting of a digital file, a compressed digital file, and a digital file buffered to the size of a communication protocol pack length.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein each of said content items in said packet contains at least one item selected from the group consisting of a picture, text, audio information, an animated picture, a video image and video animation.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said plurality of criteria include at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of a country of origin, a language, a date, a topic, a keyword and a key phrase.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said user profile and said content profile each independently contain values for each of said at least one criterion, said values are selected from the group consisting of a predefined list of values, a specific numerical value, a range of numerical values, a rating assigned by an organization and a user mark.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said user mark is a value between 1 and 1.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein said correspondence between said user profile and said content profile is selected from the group consisting of a Boolean correspondence and a statistical correspondence.

41. The method of claim 34, comprising the additional step of:

(e) informing said server of user reactions to said items in said packet.

42. The method of claim 34, comprising the additional step of:

(f) informing said server of an Internet surfing activity of the user.

43. The method of claim 34, wherein said user profile identifies the user only by means of an item selected from the group consisting of the user client used by the user and a random number.

44. The method of claim 34, wherein said content items stored in said memory contain the content desired by the specific user, the content being downloadable to said user client so as to be available to the user without a network connection.

Drawings