# How Websites Use Your Cookie Data to Show Targeted Ads

> Adobe's patent describes a system where website administrators create custom rules to match a user's browser cookie data with specific advertisements or content.

- **Patent:** US 9210222
- **Original title:** Browser cookie analysis and targeted content delivery
- **Owner:** Adobe Systems Inc
- **Granted:** 2015
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 2
- **Field:** software, ecommerce, ai_ml

## What it does

This patent describes a centralized system that collects data from browser cookies across multiple visitors and stores it in a central repository. A website administrator uses a special interface to define 'custom segments' by picking specific cookie parameters (like a product category) and setting logical relationships such as 'equals' or 'contains.' When a new visitor arrives, the system checks their cookies against these rules. If the data matches a segment, the system automatically serves the pre-selected content, such as a specific banner ad, to that user.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover tracking users across different devices or browsers using fingerprinting techniques.
- Does not cover real-time bidding exchanges where ad inventory is auctioned to the highest bidder.
- Does not cover server-side session management that does not involve user-defined segment rules.
- Does not cover privacy-preserving technologies that block or anonymize cookie data collection.

## The clever bit

The innovation lies in the administrative interface that allows non-technical marketers to define complex logic ('contains', 'approximates') for cookie data, effectively turning raw browser data into actionable marketing segments on the fly.

## Real-world examples

1. Adobe Experience Cloud
2. Targeted banner advertisements on retail websites
3. Personalized website landing pages based on previous browsing history

## Why it matters

This patent represents the infrastructure behind the personalized web experience common in the 2010s. It provided a framework for marketers to move away from generic advertising toward granular, data-driven content delivery without needing deep programming knowledge.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Websites Use Your Cookie Data to Show Targeted Ads cover?

Adobe's patent describes a system where website administrators create custom rules to match a user's browser cookie data with specific advertisements or content.

### Who owns patent US 9210222?

Adobe Systems Inc owns this patent, granted in 2015.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on December 8, 2035, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What is patent US 9210222 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 2 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This patent represents the infrastructure behind the personalized web experience common in the 2010s. It provided a framework for marketers to move away from generic advertising toward granular, data-driven content delivery without needing deep programming knowledge.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover tracking users across different devices or browsers using fingerprinting techniques.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9210222/facebook-login

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US9210222

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._