Providing collected profiles to media properties having specified interests

Abstract

To improve monetization of electronic advertisement placement, a profile owner company operates an automatic system for identifying media properties that have interests in specific profiles or profiles of a specified category or kind. The profile owner recognizes a collected visitor profile as one that a media property has previously requested or one that is within a category that a media property has previously requested and arranges for the visitor to be tagged with a tag readable by the media property that requested such a profile. The media property can use the tag in displaying customized advertising to the visitor. Using information received from the media property, the profile owner company then records usage of the profile by the media property.

1 . A method for providing collected profiles comprising:
 (a) responsive to receiving profile information about an electronic visitor to a profile supplier, automatically selecting a media property based on a comparison of the profile information received about the visitor with a previously received request for specific profiles or kinds of profiles of interest to the media property; and   (b) automatically arranging for electronic storage of a tag that is associated with the visitor and that is readable by the selected media property.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein part (a) comprises automatically selecting a plurality of media properties, based on a comparison of the profile information received about the visitor with each request of a set of requests, at least one of which requests was previously received from each of the media properties, each request being for specific profiles or kinds of profiles. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein performing part (a) responsive to receiving profile information about an electronic visitor to a profile supplier comprises performing part (a) responsive to receiving a redirect of a visitor along with the visitor's profile from the profile supplier. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein part (a) further comprises categorizing the profile information received about the visitor into a category of profiles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising recording a fee to the profile supplier in exchange for the profile information received from the profile supplier. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tag comprises personally identifiable information identifying the visitor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically arranging for electronic storage of the tag comprises arranging for electronic storage of the profile information in the tag. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically arranging for electronic storage of the tag comprises arranging for electronic storage of the profile information in a database locatable through the tag. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically arranging for electronic storage of the tag comprises redirecting the visitor to the selected media property with a request to have the selected media property tag the visitor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, after parts (a) and (b), electronically receiving a report from the selected media property containing information about usage of the profile in association with a visit by the profiled visitor to the selected media property. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising, based on the report, recording an amount owed by the selected media property for profile usage. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising calculating fees owed to a plurality of profile suppliers based on respective contributions of said profile suppliers to the profile identified in the report as having been used. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the report contains information about usage of the profile in association with a profile-based advertisement delivered to the profiled visitor by the selected media property. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the report comprises a redirection of the visitor from the selected media property when the selected media property utilizes the profile to deliver the advertisement. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the redirection occurs by incorporating a redirection instruction into the advertisement. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the profile supplier operates in a different media than the selected media property. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the profile supplier operates in the Internet and the selected media property operates in a television media. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein part (a) comprises automatically selecting a media property based on a comparison of the profile information received about the visitor with a plurality of requests, previously received from the media property, each request being for a specific profile or kind of profiles. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising, after parts (a) and (b), electronically receiving a report from the selected media property containing information about usage of the profile in association with a visit by the profiled visitor to the selected media property, and wherein the report further contains information identifying which profile or kind of profiles the selected media property used in connection with usage of the profile. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the report comprises a redirection of the visitor from the selected media property when the selected media property utilizes the profile to deliver the advertisement, and wherein the information identifying which profile or kinds of profiles the selected media property used is contained in the URL to which the visitor is redirected. 
     
     
         21 - 33 . (canceled)