Method and apparatus for presenting advertisements

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller to determine a behavioral profile of an end user from packet traffic generated by activities of the end user, and share the behavioral profile with a network element for distributing targeted advertisements to the end user according to the behavioral profile. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-readable storage device, comprising computer instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 monitoring packet traffic associated with an end user device, the packet traffic being associated with communication services provided to the end user device by a first entity;   determining demographic and psychographic information associated with the end user device based on the monitoring of the packet traffic;   determining a behavioral profile for the end user device based on the demographic and psychographic information; and   submitting the behavioral profile over a network to an advertisement element, wherein the advertisement element is operated by a second entity different from the first entity.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving search criteria from the advertisement element; and   detecting a website selection by the end user device, wherein the packet traffic being monitored is limited to the website and is according to the search criteria.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving search criteria from the advertisement element;   detecting a website selection by the end user device, wherein the website selection occurs after the submitting of the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element;   monitoring additional packet traffic associated with the website according to the search criteria; and   updating the behavioral profile according to the monitoring of the additional packet traffic.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 3 , wherein the search criteria comprises search terms with associated search guidelines. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the submitting of the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element causes the advertisement element to select an advertisement according to the behavioral profile and to submit the advertisement over the network to a publisher element. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 5 , wherein the publisher element operates a website, and wherein at least a portion of the packet traffic being monitored is associated with the website. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the packet traffic comprises analyzing headers of the packet traffic. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request for the behavioral profile from the advertisement element, wherein the submitting of the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element is in response to the request. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the end user device is a mobile communication device. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by an inspection element including a processor, search criteria over a network from an advertisement element;   monitoring, by the inspection element, packet traffic associated with an end user device, the packet traffic being associated with communication services provided to the end user device by a first entity, the monitoring of the packet traffic being based on the search criteria;   determining, by the inspection element, a behavioral profile for the end user device based on the monitoring of the packet traffic; and   submitting, by the inspection element, the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element, wherein the advertisement element is operated by a second entity different from the first entity.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 detecting a website selection by the end user device, wherein the website selection occurs after the submitting of the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element; and   monitoring additional packet traffic associated with the website according to the search criteria.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising updating the behavioral profile according to the monitoring of the additional packet traffic. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the search criteria comprises search terms with associated search guidelines. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the submitting of the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element causes the advertisement element to select an advertisement according to the behavioral profile and to submit the advertisement over the network to a publisher element. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the publisher element operates a website, and wherein at least a portion of the packet traffic being monitored is associated with the website. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the monitoring of the packet traffic comprises analyzing headers of the packet traffic. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising receiving a request for the behavioral profile from the advertisement element, wherein the submitting of the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element is in response to the request. 
     
     
         18 . An inspection element, comprising:
 a memory to store computer instructions;   a network interface device that interfaces with a communication system; and   a controller coupled with the memory and the network interface, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
 monitoring packet traffic associated with an end user device, the packet traffic being associated with communication services provided to the end user device by the communication system operated by a first entity; 
 determining a behavioral profile for the end user device based on the monitoring of the packet traffic; 
 receiving a request for the behavioral profile from an advertisement element; and 
 submitting the behavioral profile over a network to an advertisement element in response to the request, wherein the advertisement element is operated by a second entity different from the first entity. 
   
     
     
         19 . The inspection element of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving search criteria from the advertisement element;   detecting a website selection by the end user device, wherein the website selection occurs after the submitting of the behavioral profile over the network to the advertisement element;   monitoring additional packet traffic associated with the website according to the search criteria; and   updating the behavioral profile according to the monitoring of the additional packet traffic.   
     
     
         20 . The inspection element of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the behavioral profile by monitoring a plurality of layers of an open systems interconnection model protocol used by the packet traffic.