Generating Advertisements Based On Proximate Computing Devices

Abstract

Techniques include identifying one or more proximate devices (e.g., networked computing devices, or networked appliances) that are located proximate to a user device (e.g., a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, or a tablet) using a local wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC). The techniques further include generating one or more advertisements (ads) based on the identified proximate devices, based on one or more device types (e.g., categories) associated with the devices, and/or based on one or more states of the devices. In some examples, the techniques include transmitting an indication of the identified proximate devices, their types, and/or their states to an ad system and receiving the ads from the system in response to transmitting the indication. The techniques also include displaying the ads to a user at the user device (e.g., within a software application executing on the device).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 identifying, using a user device, a proximate device located proximate to the user device using a local wireless network, wherein the proximate device is configured to communicate via the local wireless network, and wherein identifying the proximate device comprises receiving an indication of the proximate device from the proximate device via the local wireless network;   in response to identifying the proximate device, generating, using the user device, an advertisement (ad) based on the identified proximate device; and   displaying the generated ad to a user at the user device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user device and the proximate device are communicatively coupled via the local wireless network, and wherein receiving the indication of the proximate device from the proximate device via the local wireless network comprises receiving the indication as part of the proximate device communicating with the user device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proximate device is connected to the local wireless network, and wherein receiving the indication of the proximate device from the proximate device via the local wireless network comprises receiving the indication in response to the user device performing a scan for computing devices that are connected to the local wireless network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the indication of the proximate device from the proximate device via the local wireless network comprises receiving the indication in response to the user device pinging the proximate device via the local wireless network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proximate device and another computing device are communicatively coupled via the local wireless network, and wherein receiving the indication of the proximate device from the proximate device via the local wireless network comprises receiving the indication as part of the proximate device communicating with the other computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises determining, using the user device, one or more of a model name, a model number, and a device ID of the identified proximate device, and generating, using the user device, the ad based on the determined one or more of the model name, model number, and device ID. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises determining, using the user device, a category of the identified proximate device, and generating, using the user device, the ad based on the determined category. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises determining, using the user device, a state of the identified proximate device, and generating, using the user device, the ad based on the determined state. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises transmitting, using the user device, an indication of one or more of the identified proximate device, a category of the identified proximate device, and a state of the identified proximate device to an ad system, and receiving, at the user device, the ad from the ad system in response to transmitting the indication. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises:
 identifying an ad record included in an ad data store based on one or more matches between an indication of one of the identified proximate device, a category of the identified proximate device, and a state of the identified proximate device and information included in the ad record;   selecting ad content from the identified ad record; and   generating the ad based on the selected ad content.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises:
 identifying an ad record included in an ad data store based on an indication of one of the identified proximate device, a category of the identified proximate device, and a state of the identified proximate device and based on a mapping between at least one of a device, a device category, and a device state and one or more ad records included in the ad data store;   selecting ad content from the identified ad record; and   generating the ad based on the selected ad content.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving, at the user device, an indication that the user has selected the ad on the user device, and updating, using the user device, the mapping based on the received indication. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises determining, using the user device, that the identified proximate device does not correspond to one or more of a specific device, a specific device category, and a specific device state, and generating, using the user device, the ad based on the determination. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises determining, using the user device, an indication of ownership associated with the identified proximate device, and generating, using the user device, the ad based on the determined indication. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining the indication of ownership associated with the identified proximate device comprises determining one or more of the following: whether the user has indicated ownership of the identified proximate device via a user input on the user device; whether the user has previously interacted with the identified proximate device via the user device; how frequently the user has previously interacted with the identified proximate device via the user device; whether the user device has been previously located proximate to the identified proximate device; how frequently the user device has been previously located proximate to the identified proximate device; and
 whether the user is associated with one or more other devices that are similar to the identified proximate device.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the ad based on the identified proximate device comprises receiving, at the user device, one or more candidate ads from an ad system, and selecting, using the user device, the ad from the one or more candidate ads based on the identified proximate device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the local wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi network. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the local wireless network comprises a Bluetooth network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of claim,  1  wherein the local wireless network comprises a near-field communications (NFC) network. 
     
     
         20 . A computing device comprising:
 a network interface component configured to communicate with a local wireless network;   a display device;   one or more memory components configured to store computer-readable instructions; and   one or more processing units configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to:
 receive an indication of a proximate device located proximate to the computing device via the local wireless network using the network interface component, wherein the proximate device is configured to communicate via the local wireless network; 
 identify the proximate device based on the received indication; 
 in response to identifying the proximate device, generate an advertisement (ad) based on the identified proximate device; and 
 display the generated ad to a user using the display device.