Identifying and/or blocking ads such as document-specific competitive ads

• US 20050055271A1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Axe, Brian, Shivakumar, Narayanan, Ranganath, Rama
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.520
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search

Abstract

A content owner partner (e.g., a Website/Web page publisher) can easily block entire broad or narrow categories of ads, and can specify objectionable ad content or targeting. Concepts may be associated with a property and ads related to those concepts may be blocked for the given property. Further, terms may be associated with a property and ads including any of the terms may be blocked for the given property.

Claims

1. A method for blocking advertisements, the method comprising:

a) accepting at least one category of ads to be blocked;

b) accepting at least one ad, each ad being associated with at least one category; and

c) preventing an ad from being served if at least a predetermined number of its at least one category match any of the at least one category of ads to be blocked.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the category is a semantic cluster.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the category is a probabilistic hierarchical inferential learner cluster.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the category is a concept.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of preventing an ad from being served includes removing the ad from a set of eligible ads.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined number is one.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a product category.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a service category.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one category of ads to be blocked is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

d) accepting at least one term; and

e) preventing an ad from being served if at least a part of its ad information includes at least a second predetermined number of any of the at least one term.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a creative of the ad.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is keyword targeting terms associated with the ad.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a document linked to by the ad.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the second predetermined number is one.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a product name.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product manufacturer.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product retailer.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a service name.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a service provider.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one term is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.

27. A method for determining a set of advertisements, the method comprising:

a) accepting at least one category of ads to be blocked;

b) adjusting a weight of each of the at least one category in a comparison function;

c) accepting at least one ad, each ad being associated with at least one category;

d) accepting a document being associated with at least category; and

e) comparing each of the at least one ad with the document using the comparison function.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the category is a semantic cluster.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the category is a probabilistic hierarchical inferential learner cluster.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the category is a concept.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the act of adjusting a weight of each of the at least one category in a comparison function includes setting the weight to zero.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a product category.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a service category.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one category of ads to be blocked is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.

38. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

f) accepting at least one term; and

g) preventing an ad from being served if at least a part of its ad information includes at least a second predetermined number of any of the at least one term.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a creative of the ad.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is keyword targeting terms associated with the ad.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a document linked to by the ad.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein the second predetermined number is one.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a product name.

44. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product manufacturer.

45. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product retailer.

46. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a service name.

47. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a service provider.

48. The method of claim 38 wherein the at least one term is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

51. The method of claim 48 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.

52. Apparatus for blocking advertisements, the apparatus comprising:

a) an input for accepting;

i) at least one category of ads to be blocked, and

ii) at least one ad, each ad being associated with at least one category; and

b) means for preventing an ad from being served if at least a predetermined number of its at least one category match any of the at least one category of ads to be blocked.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the category is a semantic cluster.

54. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the category is a probabilistic hierarchical inferential learner cluster.

55. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the category is a concept.

56. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the means for preventing an ad from being served includes means for removing the ad from a set of eligible ads.

57. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the predetermined number is one.

58. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a product category.

59. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a service category.

60. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the at least one category of ads to be blocked is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

61. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

62. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

63. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.

64. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein the input if further adapted to accept at least one term, the apparatus further comprising:

c) preventing an ad from being served if at least a part of its ad information includes at least a second predetermined number of any of the at least one term.

65. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a creative of the ad.

66. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is keyword targeting terms associated with the ad.

67. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a document linked to by the ad.

68. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the second predetermined number is one.

69. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a product name.

70. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product manufacturer.

71. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product retailer.

72. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a service name.

73. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a service provider.

74. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the at least one term is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

75. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

76. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

77. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.

78. Apparatus for determining a set of advertisements, the apparatus comprising:

a) an input for accepting

i) at least one category of ads to be blocked,

ii) at least one ad, each ad being associated with at least one category, and

iii) a document being associated with at least category;

b) means for adjusting a weight of each of the at least one category in a comparison function; and

c) means for comparing each of the at least one ad with the document using the comparison function.

79. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the category is a semantic cluster.

80. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the category is a probabilistic hierarchical inferential learner cluster.

81. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the category is a concept.

82. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the means for adjusting a weight of each of the at least one category in a comparison function includes setting the weight to zero.

83. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a product category.

84. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein at least one of the at least one category is a service category.

85. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the at least one category of ads to be blocked is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

86. The apparatus of claim 85 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

87. The apparatus of claim 85 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

88. The apparatus of claim 85 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.

89. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the input is further adapted to accept at least one term, the apparatus further comprising:

d) means for preventing an ad from being served if at least a part of its ad information includes at least a second predetermined number of any of the at least one term.

90. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a creative of the ad.

91. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is keyword targeting terms associated with the ad.

92. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the at least a part of the ad information is content of a document linked to by the ad.

93. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the second predetermined number is one.

94. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a product name.

95. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product manufacturer.

96. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a product retailer.

97. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a service name.

98. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein at least one of the at least one term is a name of a service provider.

99. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the at least one term is accepted from a list associated with at least one document.

100. The apparatus of claim 99 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page.

101. The apparatus of claim 99 wherein the at least one document include Web pages of a Website.

102. The apparatus of claim 99 wherein the at least one document is at least one Web page associated with a path name.